


Into The Ocean

by SpaceJammie



Series: Oddly Specific First Meetings Fic Collection [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Background Character Death, Blood and Injury, First Meetings, If you read this fic before 2021 then no you didn't because im giving it a revision and extension, M/M, Past Child Abuse/Neglect, Soft Iwaizumi Hajime, There will be a lot of casual nudity but not in a sexual way, There will be characters not mentioned in the tags, There will be mermaids but not the kind you're used to, There will be overly detailed descriptions of jellyfish, There will be plenty of magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 98,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26446801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceJammie/pseuds/SpaceJammie
Summary: Hajime and Daichi are childhood friends who live by the sea. They are out fishing together on the open water when a bad storm hits. They find themselves in need of rescue.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Series: Oddly Specific First Meetings Fic Collection [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982089
Comments: 116
Kudos: 281





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ****this fic used to be finished but I pulled chapters to do some revision and will be doing an extension of the story past the original 10 chapters*****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is a long look into the past for some historical background.
> 
> Also, it's very loosely based on a Japanese folktale. (The 800 year old nun, for those curious.)
> 
> Thank you to my friend Tix for beta reading this chapter for me when I was doing the rewrite of this fic ^_^

A very long time ago, people widely acknowledged the existence of a certain mythical creature; they were called ningyo, or human fish. These creatures looked exactly like humans, but they lived in the sea rather than on land. Their society was located deep beneath the surface of the water. Even in those days, not much was understood about ningyo. But much more was known at that time than would be in the future. 

In those early days, ningyo and humans lived in a delicate balance. They did not often interact, and they did not tend to interfere with each other’s lives. Among the ningyo, there was an unspoken agreement that they were to keep to themselves and stay in the sea. Despite that, there were some among the ningyo that had close connections with humans; those relationships were not looked down upon or forbidden, though they were not common either. Those were amiable times for the humans that lived near the sea and the ningyo that dwelled in the waters nearby. But that peace was not destined to last.

On an ill-fated day over one thousand years ago, a fisherman caught a young ningyo child in his net. It frightened the ningyo child terribly, and she transformed her usually human looking body into the form of a large fish; only a select few among the ningyo had the ability to transform in that way, for it was a rare type of magic. The ningyo child had transformed her body quite well, but her face remained similar to that of a human; her magic was still immature and unpolished, so she did not have full control over it. 

When the fisherman saw the ningyo child among the fish in his net, he froze in place. He was both horrified and intrigued; the face of a human child on a fish was an unusual thing indeed, and the stories about such creatures told of mystery and magic. He silently wondered what would happen if someone were to eat such a creature. Surely some strange ability or blessing would be gifted to the one who consumed it. Or perhaps a curse would befall the one who dared to devour that strange human fish. 

Because the fisherman was so darkly curious about what would happen, he decided to take the ningyo child home with him rather than release her. But she cried uncontrollably when he tried to put her into a bucket, and she begged to be given back to the sea. The fisherman hated the sound of the ningyo child’s pleading cries, so he killed her right there on the deck of his ship. He felt no remorse as he took her dead body, which was still in fish form, back home with him. 

The fisherman thought carefully about how he might discover what would happen if the ningyo was eaten, and soon came up with a plan that would both satisfy his curiosity and avoid putting him at personal risk. He invited several neighbors over for dinner so that he could feed them his rare catch; if they were to perish, so be it. But the fisherman was habitually unkind to his neighbors and had always kept to himself, so his neighbors were suspicious of his intentions. Even so, they agreed to come share a meal, for it was the polite thing to do. And they were all curious about him and his sudden desire to host a dinner party. 

While the fisherman was preparing the ningyo to be cooked, one of the guests peeked into the kitchen. The guest was horrified to see the anguished face of a human child on the fish that the man was cutting up; by any measure of conscience, that creature was not meant to be eaten. The guest then went back out and warned the others not to eat it. So when the fisherman served the ningyo, the guests secretly hid their portions inside their napkins. As soon as they possibly could, they left the gathering and buried the pieces of the ningyo on the side of the road; they were too afraid of bringing on a curse by burying it in their own yard, but it would have felt wrong to toss it away like trash. 

Back in the kitchen of the fisherman’s home was the rest of the ningyo’s body; much of it remained since the man had only served a small part. The man's daughter, who had a grave illness that would eventually claim her life, happened upon the leftovers. Just before then, the fisherman had taken the face of the ningyo child out of the house. He intended to bury the evidence away in his backyard, and so he was not around to keep his daughter from eating the remains of the ningyo that he had only wanted to feed to the guests. 

The fisherman’s daughter helped herself to some of the ningyo. Her appetite had been poor for a long time due to her failing health, but she found the ningyo to be delicious; she finished the entire amount that remained. Her father came upon her eating the last of it and became panicked. He told her that she must make herself throw up, or else risk becoming cursed. However, she turned to him and told him that she felt healthier than she ever had before. The man looked closely at her and saw that her face was bright and healthy, rather than the pale and sickly color it had been for so long. The man was completely astounded. He then told everyone in town about the miracle, and bragged about it over and over to anyone who would listen. 

But some of the shinshoku, or caretakers, of the town's shrines told the fisherman that it was a bad omen to catch a ningyo at sea; for surely a fish with the face of a human must have been a ningyo using magic. And they claimed it was far worse a sin to eat one, for it might anger the gods of the sea. Or it could enrage the other ningyo if they were to find out about it. The shinshoku believed that ningyo were blessed with magic by the gods, and that they had the power to set curses as well as control the weather. So they asked that everyone pray to the gods of the sea to ask for forgiveness, and to stop spreading word of what had happened. They begged the townspeople to heed them, and to forsake the fisherman’s claims. But some people were desperate to heal their own ailing loved ones, and thus began a multitude of fishing expeditions with the sole purpose of catching ningyo. 

The rumor that promised health to those willing to eat a ningyo continued to spread. Before long, dozens of ningyo were captured, killed, and consumed; that loss was significant, for the ningyo were not a common creature in those days. The ningyo were outraged when they learned of the fisherman's evil deed which had led to such cruel acts against their kind. While they grieved, they called upon the gods of the seas and begged them to send storms to punish the humans for their atrocious crimes. And they asked that no ship sailing the sea be spared, nor any coastal town escape from the wrathful grasp of vengeance.

The gods answered the prayers of the ningyo and willed the sea to go against humans. There would be a hurricane one day and a tsunami the next. Countless ships were dragged below the surface by strong whirlpools and broken apart by the currents. Any survivors of the wrecks would be killed by the ningyo without mercy. Hundreds of thousands of humans died in the vengeful waters; those days were full of misery for humankind. 

As the wrath of the sea continued to befall humanity, over thirty shinshoku from various coastal towns gathered on the shoreline and fell to their knees in the sand. They bowed their foreheads to the ground to express shame and remorse over the actions of their fellow humans. They prayed to the gods of the sea, begging them to send the ningyo to them so that they could form a treaty under the watch and approval of the gods. And so the gods of the sea sent the ningyo elders of that age, telling them to seek peace and restore balance. The ningyo elders and the shinshoku spoke for five whole days. The negotiations were deliberate and drawn out; no detail was left undiscussed. 

Of the things the ningyo elders demanded, much of it rested on the gods. The gods were to erase the current knowledge of ningyo from all humans; that way, they would not have the temptation to harm ningyo any further. This would include knowledge of the treaty itself, so it would fall to ningyo to uphold their side of the agreement. The gods were also to make sure that humans would never again have widespread knowledge about ningyo. 

Among the things the shinshoku requested was that the ningyo promise to save as many humans as possible from death at sea; it would be a way to make up for the many thousands of humans already lost to its depths. And they asked that ningyo not talk to or touch humans unless it was to save them. They also requested that ningyo not use magic on humans unless it was to assist in a rescue, for fear of being cursed in later retribution once their memories of ningyo were erased. 

But the ningyo elders refused to agree unless there were some exceptions. They did not want it to apply to the humans that were already in close contact with the ningyo, for there were a rare few that had been adapted for living in the sea among the ningyo by way of magic. And the ningyo elders insisted that once a human had been saved at sea, that human would be excused from the restrictions of the treaty. That way, any ningyo could interact with that particular human; it would encourage better relations between humans and ningyo in the future.

However, because of the ningyo’s lingering anger over the crimes committed against them, no new friendships were formed in the coming years; there was a rift between ningyo and humans that did not seem reconcilable. So to fulfill the treaty requirements, the ningyo saved humans in stealthy ways, then left as soon as they had finished the rescue. But as the centuries passed, the bitterness that the ningyo felt towards humans slowly faded away. Some even came to find honor in saving humans from the sea, though relationships of any kind with humans were nonexistent by then.

Over the years, there were still some stories passed down by humans about sightings of ningyo. However, each generation twisted the stories farther from the truth due to interference from the gods. And so the ningyo became a myth to humans; nothing more than a legend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So random note: some of the comments on this chapter are actually from chapter 10, from the original version. I mixed up chapters when I was pulling chapters for the rewrite/had deleted some chapters. But they don't really spoil anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter brings us to present day

The sky was clear blue and the heat of the sun was subdued by a salty breeze. Seagulls called out to each other as they flew overhead. It was the perfect day for taking a boat out to the open waters of the sea to find out what kind of fish would take the tempting bait of a worm on a hook.

Hajime stood in the middle on a long wooden dock as he looked out at the water. He was enjoying the sea breeze rushing through his dark spiky hair. His angular features went well with his sharp eyebrows that were slanted down, making him look serious no matter his mood. His green eyes had whispers of grey throughout them; they looked like steel in the right light. And he had broad shoulders and a strong build underneath his hoodie. That particular sweatshirt was his favorite one; it was dark grey and said ‘Godzilla Will Come Again’ across the front. It had been a gift from his late grandmother from a few years earlier.

Along the dock, many boats were tied off. There were mostly small ones like rowboats and motorboats. The water around the dock was cold and murky, and the ground under the water dipped down fast near the shore; it made the water quite deep despite only being ten yards from the rocky beach. The dock was located in a bay shaped like a big circle with a crescent of land around it. The area itself was actually called Crescent Moon Bay. 

There was a lighthouse sitting atop one side of the small passageway into the bay; it had been around for a very long time, though it was almost never visited by the townspeople who lived in the area. The place was run by a hermit of a man who was rumored to be mentally unstable and more than a little odd. Not to mention that the man intentionally went to extreme measures to avoid interacting with others, such as wearing a large hat, long gloves, and sunglasses while shopping in town.

But the lighthouse itself was beautiful and well kept; it was tall, white, and had small circular windows spiraling up along the outside of it. It was topped with a thin lightning rod and a bright red cupola. The gallery deck that was around the lantern room could be used to view the sea from above; it had red bars that matched the roof. The powerful light at the top always shone bright just before a storm came, as though it were giving a prediction of the weather.

The water between the rocky tips of land leading to the sea was not deep enough for commercial fishing vessels, which were the type used by many of those who fished in the deep waters far from shore. And it had many jagged rocks that were hard to navigate when coming or going from the bay. So the boats in Crescent Moon Bay were usually used for pleasure rides, or by those who wanted to catch only a few fish for sport. The town behind Crescent Moon Bay, in which Hajime lived, was called Skyway; it was well known for the fish that were caught and canned there. 

Many people in Skyway relied on the sea to provide them with fish to eat, and to sell further inland. Skyway was, and perhaps always would be, a fishing town. It was a fact deeply rooted into the history of that place. Skyway was very old; some say it had been there for over a thousand years, though records of earlier days were scarce. 

Hajime himself had a small motorboat. He had gotten it as a gift from his late father when he turned thirteen. It had seen plenty of use from himself and his best friend Daichi; they used it often in the seven years Hajime had been captaining it. They liked to fish for fun on the days they were not working together at a large fish cannery located just inland.

Hajime and Daichi shared a small house right off the coast; it had been inherited from Hajime's grandparents. The house sat on a hill near a shallow cove that had tidepools further up the shoreline from it. It had been built by Hajime's grandfather, who lived there for many years together with Hajime's grandmother, mother, and father. When Hajime was born, he and his father continued to live in that old house with his grandparents; however, Hajime’s mother passed away in childbirth.

Since he never had the chance to know his real mother, his grandmother had stepped in as his mother figure. Hajime learned a lot from the woman. And she did everything she could to nurture his growth and support him. He grew up happy and well loved by his grandparents and father.

But tragedy struck Hajime’s family when he was almost fourteen; his father died in a shipwreck while far out at sea during a storm. It had been a difficult loss; Hajime had been very close with his father, despite the man having been out to sea for up to six months out of the year. His grandparents were the only ones who raised him after that. 

It took him a long time to bounce back from that loss, and his grades suffered for it. His school almost held him back for a year, but his best friend Daichi helped him study for a series of makeup tests. He barely made the grades needed to move on into high school, but he managed to pull it off. 

But misfortune once again visited the Iwaizumi household. 

In the second half of the year in which Hajime should have graduated from highschool, just months before he turned eighteen, his grandmother passed away suddenly. Her death was extremely hard on him, especially after having lost his father only a few years earlier. To make things worse, it was just two weeks later when his grandfather passed away while sleeping. 

Hajime ended up unable to finish high school; it was just too much for him. He dropped out of school and started to work at the fish cannery in order to support himself. Daichi moved in with him after graduation and started work at the fish cannery as well.

Hajime felt sure that a broken heart was what made his grandfather pass away; the love his grandparents shared was the once in a lifetime kind, and being apart must have been too unbearable. They set a high bar for what a relationship should be. He didn't feel very confident that he would ever find someone who would care for him the way that his grandparents had for each other. 

As far as his love life went, Hajime had tried to date in high school. But he didn't find any of the girls interesting enough to see more than once. It wasn't until just after high school that he realized he was attracted to men, though he didn't know how to go about finding one to date. Skyway was a town with a pretty small population; Hajime felt like he knew everyone there well enough to be confident that none of them were his type.

But overall, he wasn't that concerned about finding a romantic partner. He was finally happy with his life again and had somewhat come to terms with the loss of his grandparents. He liked living with his best friend, and he didn't hate his job; he felt that he was well off for a twenty year old as far as safety and security went. He certainly didn’t intend to waste time pining after a love he may never find. Besides, his grandfather had always said, _'you don't go searching for love, it’ll find you when you’re least expecting it.'_

Hajime closed his eyes and sighed as he pictured his grandfather's face; he missed the man terribly, just as he missed his father and grandmother. Then the sound of his best friend’s voice made him open his eyes and turn around.

"Hey!" Daichi's voice carried across the water from the shore. He then came out onto the dock in a half hearted run. He was dressed warmly and had come prepared for the boating trip; he held a fishing rod over one shoulder and a red ice chest in one hand. His short cropped dark brown hair matched his friendly brown eyes, and his lips curved into an easy smile. He had a similar build as Hajime; broad and athletic.

Hajime turned towards his friend and crossed his arms while smirking. "You're late!"

Daichi cracked an apologetic smile. "Sorry! Someone had to leave work early because of a family thing, so I went in to cover for them."

Hajime punched his friend's shoulder once they were face to face. "If everyone was as nice and responsible as you, I think the world would be a bit too boring for me," he teased.

Daichi laughed and punched Hajime in return. "And if everyone was as stubborn and short tempered as you, it would be more than my poor nerves could handle."

Hajime let out a short laugh in response. He didn't think he was that short tempered, but he knew he could be stubborn.

Daichi set the ice chest in the boat and stepped on board, then sat down on the front bench seat. Hajime leaned down to untie the rope that went from the dock to the front of the small boat. He then gave the boat a hard shove before jumping onboard. It rocked wildy for a moment, so Hajime held his arms out to balance himself and steady it.

Daichi frowned and held the sides of the boat with his hands. "You'll make me seasick if you do that," he complained.

Hajime sat down on the second bench seat and turned towards the back of the boat so he could fiddle with the engine. "Huh? Oh shit, sorry Diachi. I always forget that you have a weak stomach," he said absentmindedly. 

"It's not that my stomach is weak, it’s more like your stomach is made of iron. I've seen you throw back a glass of scotch after several beers and be no worse off than before come morning. If anyone else did that, they'd be camped out over the toilet all day," Daichi replied as he moved his hands to his stomach and took a slow breath to stave off his nausea.

Hajime laughed in response as he finally got the engine to start. It roared to life, and he steered towards the passage leading to the sea. Daichi reached under his bench seat and pulled out two life vests. He put one on over his head, then looked at Hajime while holding the other one out. Hajime grabbed the life vest with one hand and slipped the orange rectangle over his head as he continued to steer the boat.

Daichi gave a thumbs-up while yelling out over the sound of the engine. "Safety first, then teamwork!"

Hajime rolled his eyes before returning a thumbs-up to his responsibility driven friend.

The boat jetted over the dark water, which was lightly misting it's two passengers. Hajime smiled as he looked ahead towards the sea. He had always been drawn to the water, both boating across it and swimming in it. He learned to swim at a young age; his grandfather had patiently guided him through the process in the mellow cove near their house. His grandmother couldn't stand how cold the sea water was, so she would watch the pair from a big beach towel on the shore.

Daichi, on the other hand, was a poor swimmer despite Hajime trying to teach him on multiple occasions. But he did have Hajime beat when it came to fishing. It was a rare thing for Hajime to reel in more fish than Daichi could. Though Daichi liked to tell Hajime that it was because the man reeled his line in too quickly. _'It takes patience to catch a fish, Hajime. It can tell if you start pulling the bait as soon as you feel the slightest tug,'_ Daichi would say.

Hajime would just insist that they had different draws on luck. _'I'd rather be able to swim than catch a fish, anyway,'_ he would often counter.

The boat came to the mouth of Crescent Moon Bay where sharp rocks rose up past the beaches on both sides of the passageway as well as throughout the water. They passed through it and were then out on the open sea. Hajime cut the engine and took a deep breath; he closed his eyes as he appreciated the atmosphere of the sea and the gentle motion of the boat floating on the water. 

Daichi held his fishing rod in one hand and drummed on the ice chest with his other hand. "Lunch or fishing first?" 

"I thought safety was first?" Hajime said teasingly while pointing at the ice chest. "Since you were so late and all, I'm pretty hungry."

Daichi clapped his palms together and sarcastically bowed in apology. "Please accept this food I've made and forgive my tardiness."

"That’ll depend on how good the food is," Hajime said as he opened the bright red ice chest. Inside were two sandwiches, two water bottles, and a bag of chips. Hajime took one sandwich and gave the other to Daichi. They ate in silence while listening to the sea.

Hajime watched the waves as he ate. He loved the way the ocean was always moving and changing. Yet there was a consistency to it; he always got the same feeling when he was on a boat or swimming in the water. It felt like he was free, and that the possibilities in his life were endless.

"I'm surprised your stomach allows you to eat on a boat," Hajime said as he finished his sandwich. 

"The water is pretty calm right now, so I'm hanging in there," said Daichi. Though he did look a little bit pale. Despite the fact that he struggled with seasickness regularly, he still loved everything about the sea and the shores surrounding it. He and Hajime spent their childhood exploring all around Skyway and Crescent Moon Bay. 

Hajime resisted the temptation to rock the boat, both literally and figuratively; it was difficult to fight the urge to tease Daichi further. Instead, he ate a handful of chips and washed it down with his water. He finished the bottle all in one go. 

Daichi was just finishing his water as well. Now that they were both done with lunch, he pulled a can of worms out from under his bench seat and set it between his and Hajime’s feet. They got their fishing hooks ready by placing worms on them before casting out into the water.

"I'll never get tired of this view," Daichi said as he looked around the surface of the shifting water. The openness of the sea in front of the boat was thrilling. It also brought a feeling of familiarity and happiness for both men. The sea felt like an extension of themselves. Or rather, they were an extension of the sea; they were small and insignificant compared to the vast expanse of powerful water and endless sky. 

"I wish we could come out every day like we did during summer breaks in high school," Hajime said; he sighed at the memories of his youthful summers spent leisurely in those few years between his father’s death and his grandparents’ deaths.

"We’re adults now though, so no more summer breaks," Daichi said in a jokingly stern voice, though it was clear that he longed for those idle days as well. 

"Yay for adulthood,” Hajime deadpanned. He tugged his fishing line a bit and adjusted his shoulders. “Hey, you're being considered for the management position that's opening soon, right?”

Daichi smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's right. I was pretty surprised when they told me. I feel like I’m too young to be a manager."

"You were practically born to lead people. And your dad-voice is scarier than my dad's or grandfather's ever was," Hajime replied in light jest. But his heart stirred as he thought of his late family members; they would always live on in his memories, and he never knew when something would suddenly remind him of them and make him feel the weight of grief. 

"Neither of them even had to be scary for people to listen to them. They both had such a gentle way of doing things. That kindness doesn't seem to run in the family anymore, though. Or did it just skip over you?" Daichi nudged Hajime’s arm as he teased him. 

"Ha-ha-ha, you're funny. You have the stern dad-voice down, and I see you're working on your dad jokes. Go ahead and adopt some kids any time now," Hajime quipped. He felt a small tug on his line and went to reel it in. But his hook came up empty.

"Haven't I told you to wait longer to start reeling it in? And no way, as far as adopting kids. Not right now, at least. But maybe someday I'll want to adopt after I find the right guy," Daichi said thoughtfully.

"Remember what my grandfather used to say? _'You don't find love, love comes to find you.'_ He once told me that my mother was the one who pursued my father. And that it was a good thing she did, because my father was oblivious to the fact that she liked him. Although my grandmother always said that it still takes effort on both sides, no matter who finds who," Hajime said while smiling at the memory.

Daichi hummed. "I'm not actively seeking anyone, so I hope I know when the right guy comes along. Your grandfather can rest easy knowing that I’m not ignoring his love advice."

They both chuckled, and then a quiet moment passed before Hajime spoke in a soft voice. "I really miss my grandparents and my dad. It feels like they took a part of me with them when they died. I still have all this love for them, and no way to give it to them.”

Daichi looked at Hajime and patted his shoulder. "They loved you, and I know they'd be proud of you. When we go visit your family's gravesite next week, we'll show our love by carrying on our tradition."

They had a yearly tradition of visiting Hajime’s family's gravesit. Hajime and Daichi, along with a couple of their friends, always went to visit on the anniversary of his father's death. His grandparents came along when they were still alive, but now they were buried along with Hajime’s mother in the family grave, where their cremated remains were kept together. He wished his father was resting there too, but the man’s body had never been recovered from the sea. Hajime's grandmother and father had actually died on the same date, though it was several years apart.

Hajime nodded at Daichi and cleared his throat. "Thanks, man. For the encouragement, and for moving in after they died. It would have been hard to be alone in that house. I've worried that maybe… you feel stuck with me." 

"There's nowhere I'd rather be," Daichi said playfully as he nudged Hajime with his leg. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his line; he waited for a moment before doing anything. "I just got a bite, but I’m going to wait a few seconds before I reel it in. And I guarantee I’ll catch it!"

Before they could find out if Daichi's theory proved right, the sky quickly grew dark as though someone had thrown a blanket over the sun. Hajime looked up and saw the grey clouds that had rolled in towards land as they blocked out the light; the winds picked up right after. "That's going to be a bad storm," he said as he reeled in his line and then set his fishing rod down in the boat.

Daichi did the same, and his hook was empty when he did so. But he didn’t care about that at the moment. He was just worried about the storm.

Hajime reached back and pulled the engine cord to get it going; the engine sputtered, but wouldn't start. He pulled again, and the same thing happened. "Of all the fucking times for this," Hajime snapped. "Work, damn it!"

Several attempts produced nothing. The engine was as useless to them as their hands would be as paddles. Meanwhile, the waves had become choppy and violent; the boat lifted and fell at the mercy of the sea. Daichi was tightly gripping a hand on either side of the small boat while looking sickly. 

Hajime looked at Daichi as his mind was spinning and searching for a solution. He yelled over the ever increasing sound of wind and rain, which started pouring suddenly just before he spoke. "Just hold on tight, okay! It'll be fine!" 

Both men clung tightly to the boat as it rocked furiously. The waves kept growing higher and stronger. Daichi shot a desperate look at Hajime as the sea grew more and more rough all around them. They both instinctively knew that falling in that raging water would be bad regardless of a life vest. Hajime met Daichi's eyes and saw his own worry mirrored back at him.

A mighty wave pushed the boat up, and right behind it came an even stronger one. They were both soaked thoroughly when the water washed over them. But by some miracle, the boat stayed upright. The men felt shaken up but had no time to recover as the next wave sent the boat up again. This time, the boat was turned upside down right as it reached the top of the wave. 

Hajime watched helplessly as Daichi dropped out of the boat; right afterwards, he lost his own grip and tumbled down after his terrified friend. The freezing water shocked Hajime. He was pulled under by the current, and his life vest somehow slipped off. But he kept his presence of mind enough to grab Daichi by the arm as they bumped into each other underwater. 

Hajime kicked his legs with all his strength and pulled Daichi up with him, which was more difficult than he had hoped. And then they surfaced right after a curtain of water had crashed down. They managed to gasp for air before another wave washed over them, which pushed them back under without leaving them a chance to get a full breath.

Meanwhile, Daichi kicked wildly, though his efforts were not helping them make progress back to the surface. But then Hajime managed to pull Daichi up with him as he willed his body to wrestle with the force of the sea. They surfaced again, and luck was on their side; they were right by the boat. Hajime swam for it desperately while still holding tight to Daichi. 

By sheer determination, Hajime managed to grab the boat with one hand while he pulled Daichi along with his other, trying to push the man up into it. Daichi tried reaching for the boat as well, but he slipped away; he grabbed Hajime's hand with both of his own instead. Just then, another forceful wave caught the boat and lifted it up. Hajime gripped the boat tightly, unwilling to give up his hold on it. His life, as well as Daichi's, depended on it; he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he lost another loved one.

The momentum from the lift gave Hajime an opportunity; he flung himself and Daichi into the boat as they reached the top of the wave. While moving his hands with great speed, Hajime grabbed the rope that was still tied to the front of the boat. He pulled it around Daichi's waist and tied it off right before a strong wave jolted the boat. The force of the water sent him back overboard.

Hajime heard Daichi yell his name right before he hit the water, and then the current pulled him down into the depths of the dark sea. Lightning flashed brightly, and Hajime briefly caught a glimpse of which way the surface was and how far he was from it. But the information became useless as the currents of the water spun him mercilessly.

Hajime kicked his legs in an attempt to propel himself while his arms stroked through the water, but he couldn't manage to find the surface. His lungs burned as he ran out of oxygen. He closed his eyes and hoped that the rope around Daichi would keep the man safely on the boat. 

Suddenly, he saw his father in his mind; the man was reaching for him while wearing a kind smile. _'Ah… this is it, then,'_ Hajime thought as his heart raced with fear.

But then he felt a hand grab his wrist. He opened his eyes, but the water was too dark to see through. He was pulled upwards quickly as his legs trailed behind him. Once he broke the surface, he gasped for the air that his lungs so desperately needed. He remembered the hand and thought of Daichi. How had the man pulled him through the water like that?

A strong wave came and lifted them up with it, then tossed them back to the sea below. Hajime was only pulled under water briefly this time. The hand on his wrist brought him back up to the surface before he had time to worry about running out of air. Then he felt himself being towed across the top of the water.

He could see light from the lighthouse up ahead. He was thankful to be going towards the shore, though he was still deeply confused at how Daichi was managing to keep them up and pull them along. The water was strong and wild as it repeatedly tried to throw them under. It was too dark to see much and Hajime was puzzling over Daichi’s sudden ability to swim. He called out as loud as he could so as to be heard over the storm.

"Are you okay?"

The hand on his wrist stopped dragging him forward right as lightning flashed across the sky and illuminated the darkness. Hajime saw a man floating in the water, looking at him. A man he did now know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is a [link](https://spacejammie-eimmajecaps.tumblr.com/post/639815196961095680/so-this-is-a-basic-map-very-much-not-to-scale) to a (not to scale) map of Crescent Moon Bay and Skyway.


	3. Chapter 3

Hajime stared at the stranger in the water and tried to make sense of what he was seeing. Meanwhile, the stranger smiled warmly at him right before the flash from the lightning dimmed. Once they were in darkness again, the stranger returned to pulling Hajime towards the shore. As they went along, many waves lifted the two men up towards the sky and then tossed them back into the sea. The stranger quickly pulled Hajime back to the surface each time.

When another flash of lightning came, it made the sky bright enough that Hajime was able to see the back of the stranger's head floating above the water; his hair looked brown, fluffy and surprisingly dry. Hajime lowered his eyes to where the stranger's hand held his wrist. In the water below their hands, there was something teal colored that was catching his eye. It seemed like something was glowing.

As the sky darkened in the absence of lightning, Hajime was unable to see around himself once again. But the light from the lighthouse was closer now; they were still moving steadily towards the shore. Hajime could almost see the outline of the rocky cliff under the lighthouse through the downpour of the rain. They were at the mouth of Crescent Moon Bay and were approaching the beach below the lighthouse.

Hajime’s body was numb from the cold water. As he was pulled along by the stranger, he wondered if this was all a dream. He even considered the possibility that he had drowned already, and that this was some sort of last ditch effort conjured up by his mind to comfort him. But the stranger’s hand, which still tightly grasped his wrist, brought him a surprising amount of comfort. Though he couldn’t figure out exactly why that was; it’s not like he knew the man at all, or had any reason to trust the man with his life.

Soon, Hajime found that he could stand. The boots that had somehow stayed on his feet now reached the bottom. When the stranger let go of his hand, Hajime stopped moving forward so he could squint in the darkness; he wanted to get a better view of the man. But it was still so dark from the ominous cloud cover that he couldn’t make out much. And the heavy rain made it even harder to see. 

After a moment, the stranger yelled over the noise of the storm; his voice was strong and confident. "You take it from here! I'll go get your friend and your boat!"

Before Hajime could respond, the stranger hurried around him and then disappeared under the dark water. He almost went to follow the stranger out of concern so that he could stop the man from going back out there. But then a wave crashed into him and almost knocked him over; it reminded him of his worn out body, and of the dangerous water that he was still surrounded by. 

Reluctantly, he turned around and headed towards the shore. It was a difficult process to wade through the shallows while in boots, and while already so fatigued. Especially because the area was so rocky in some areas. After a few minutes, he finally crawled out of the water and onto the gravelly sand. Once he was out of reach of the waves, he collapsed on his back in exhaustion as he shielded his face from the heavy rain with his hands. His chest heaved up and down with each breath as he rested his weary body. His arms and legs shook from both cold and exertion; a numbness had settled deeply in him. 

The day that had started out pleasantly cool was now much colder in the presence of the storm, and the sea had been as frigid as ever. Hajime decided he couldn't afford to rest long if he wanted to stave off hypothermia. He willed himself to stand, and then removed his boots in turn to pour the water from them. Then he looked back out at the stormy sea and felt worried for Daichi. He also felt worried, and very confused, about the stranger who had brought him to shore; hadn’t the man said that he was going back to get Daichi? 

Hajime paced back and forth to try and warm his body. Meanwhile, his mind was debating between running to the lighthouse for help, and waiting to see if the stranger actually did bring Daichi in from the storm. He couldn’t think clearly through his uneasiness. But before he could decide what to do, lightning struck again; it brightened both the sky and the surface of the sea. Hajime saw his boat at the top of a wave less than 1/4 mile from shore. He stopped pacing and stared at it until the lightning flash ran out; it had definitely been pointed towards the shoreline.

Just a few minutes later, the boat was close enough for Hajime to grab from the shallow water close to shore. He waded back into the raging water as far as he dared go. As the boat reached him, another bright flash of lightning shot across the sky. In that moment, Hajime saw the stranger from before with his hands on the back corner of the boat; the man was standing in water that barely came up to his waist. The stranger appeared to be shirtless, which further confused Hajime since the sea was freezing cold. The stranger smiled at him in a very friendly way, threw up a peace sign, and then turned around to dive under the water; his hair had still looked perfectly dry for some reason.

After a moment of staring at the water where the stranger had disappeared, Hajime pulled the boat and slowly towed it across the water. Soon he had reached the shore, so he dragged the boat up the beach until it was safely away from the hungry waves. He leaned over the edge and looked inside cautiously; he was unsure of what he would do if Daichi was not safely inside. 

But to his great relief, Daichi was there and seemed to be okay; he was clutching his arms and legs around one of the bench seats. "Hey, you're on land now," Hajime said loudly so he could be heard over the wind and rain.

Daichi startled at the sound of Hajime's voice, then looked up at Hajime. His expression was a mix of relief and confusion. After blinking hard a few times, he let go of the bench seat and stood wearily. After wiping the water from his face, he looked around himself as the rain finally started to ease up. "Well I'll be damned, I really am on land. And so are you! Gods, Hajime, I thought you were a dead man!"

Daichi stepped out of the boat and pulled Hajime into a tight hug; the rope Hajime had tied earlier was still attached around his waist. 

"Takes a bit more than that to do me in. I guess you're still stuck with me," said Hajime as calmly as he could while he squeezed Daichi in his arms. But his emotions were frayed from the experience he had just gone throug. After a long moment, he let go of Daichi and untangled him from the thick rope before tossing it back into the boat. 

Daichi was shivering from the soaked clothes he was wearing. He reached down to pull his boots off so that he could drain the water from them, but almost fell over as he did so. Hajime reached out and held Daichi’s shoulder to steady him, then moved to empty his own boots again. His feet felt unpleasantly pruney and cold.

While glancing around, Daichi let out a long sigh. "We must be the most fortunate guys on the planet. Do you think the waves washed you to shore?" 

"I don't know exactly what happened. Help me pull the boat further up from the water," Hajime said as he walked to one side of the boat. He wasn’t sure how to tell Daichi about the stranger he had seen. 

Daichi nodded and moved to the other side of the boat. The two of them each grabbed a side and pushed it far up along the shore; they left it at the base of the jagged rocks that led up to the lighthouse. "We’ll have to come back with oars and row it to the dock when the sea calms," said Daichi.

"Great... that's going to be quite an arm workout," Hajime said dryly as he rolled his shoulders back and forth. He already knew he’d be sore from that day's unwanted swimming, and rowing would just make it worse.

Suddenly, Daichi was struck by a thought; he looked back out towards the sea with a sad expression. "Oh no, our fishing rods!" 

Hajime frowned. The fishing rods had been a gift to he and Daichi from his grandfather, not long before the old man’s death. Both men treasured them as though they were a remaining piece of Hajime's grandfather; the sentimental value that they held was priceless, and they were irreplaceable because of that.

"Well, that’s shitty,” said Hajime as he frowned irritably. The fishing rod from his grandfather was his most precious possession aside from his boat; losing it was like losing a piece of himself. After a few moments, he sighed in defeat and crossed his arms. “You know, he wouldn't be mad that we lost them. He always said, _'people are more important than things,'_ didn’t he?”

Daichi glanced at the sea once more with a sorrowful longing. “Yeah, that’s true. But those rods were so special. I wish I’d thought to grab them.” 

Hajime brushed his disappointment aside as he turned around and started climbing the rocks that would take them to the lighthouse; the path leading away from it would eventually bring them to town. “Those rods would’ve been a hell of a lot easier to pull through the water than you were, that’s for sure."

"Well thanks a lot for getting me to the boat, even if your arms almost fell off in the process," Daichi said with a laugh as he followed Hajime up the rocks.

Hajime grinned at Daichi as they both worked at climbing. “Did you notice how both our life jackets came off, but somehow our boots stayed on? So much for safety first.”

Daichi chuckled at that, but then his expression grew solemn as he spoke in a soft voice. "That was the most terrifying thing I've ever been through. How did you manage to tie me to the boat so quickly?"

“I’ve been tying knots my whole left, I’d better be good at it by now,” Hajime said with a shrug. 

"Well, you're certainly the champion of quick-tying knots,” Daichi replied somewhat dryly. 

Hajime grinned as he climbed up the side of the cliff. “Now that’s a title I can brag about.”

Daichi spoke solemnly once again. “But seriously, that was the most heroically self sacrificing stunt you’ve ever pulled off. I'd been so sure that you were done for.”

Hajime thought of the stranger that had been in the water, with that soft looking brown hair that was way too dry for someone who had been swimming. Had he been hallucinating? It was certainly possible. He shook his head slightly to clear the image of the stranger from his mind. "Well, you know how stubborn I am. I may not have inherited gentle mannerisms from my dad and grandfather, but I did get grandmother's bull-headedness. I'm just glad you managed to stay in the boat.”

“I actually fell out of the boat when a wave flipped it. But the knot held strong and the rope kept me close, so I grabbed onto the edge to stay above water. But then the boat flipped over as it was rising up on the wave, and I felt something..." Daichi trailed off, seemingly lost in thought.

"Felt something what?" Hajime asked as he reached for a rock and pulled his body further up the cliffside. 

"This might sound unbelievable," Daichi said hesitantly as he climbed alongside Hajime. 

"Try me,” Hajime said while glancing at his friend curiously. He was wondering if Daichi had seen the stranger as well. 

Daichi nodded and took a deep breath as he went on climbing the cliffside. "After the boat flipped back over, I thought I felt hands grab onto my legs. Then I was pushed up into the boat. I looked over the side, thinking you were there. But a flash of lightning lit things up, and I saw a stranger floating in the water. It was a man, and he talked to me. He said, _'just hold on tight, I'll push you to shore soon.'_ And he gave me this really warm and friendly smile. It made me feel like everything was going to be okay."

Hajime's movement had frozen as he was midway through reaching for another rock. He couldn’t believe that Daichi had seen the stranger as well; now his own experience felt more validated.

Daichi stopped climbing as he came up next to Hajime and chuckled sheepishly. "Told you it was going to sound unbelievable..."

Hajime spoke up gruffly as he looked at Daichi with a serious expression. "Did he have brown hair? That was fluffy and weirdly dry, considering it should be all wet?" 

"Well, now that you mention it... I remember that his hair seemed to be blowing in the wind. So it must have been pretty dry. It wasn't brown though, it was a silver color. I've never seen hair like that on such a young guy. He was really beautiful," Daichi said shyly as a blush crept over his face. 

Hajime started climbing again as he replied. "I saw a man in the water too, with brown hair. He pulled me back to the surface and helped me get to shore, then swam back out. Next thing I knew, he showed up again with the boat."

Daichi started climbing again too; he looked both puzzled and concerned. "We either had oddly similar near death hallucinations, or there are some men are out there that need our help."

Hajime's thought about the stranger in the water. The man didn’t seem like he was worried about drowning at all. But that didn’t make any sense; the whole situation was very strange. "We should ask the lighthouse keeper if he can radio in for a rescue. I'd feel shitty if we just left them out there after they saved us."

At that point, the two friends had reached the top of the cliffside. They both paused to catch their breath with their hands on their knees. The storm was finally starting to break; the wind had calmed down, and the clouds were significantly lighter than they had been just an hour earlier.

"You know, I've heard Satori has a sixth sense for storms," said Daichi. “He’s very good at guessing the weather.”

"I’ve heard that too. My grandfather once said that weather predictions run in his family just like the red hair does. The lighthouse beacon always comes on before a storm hits, even with no signs of incoming clouds," Hajime replied as he winced at the soreness that was already settling into his muscles; it was going to be hard to get out of bed the next day.

Daichi hummed thoughtfully as he replied. "Guess we should have been watching the lighthouse when we were out there.”

“Live and learn,” replied Hajime as he shivered a bit due to the wind blowing on his wet clothes. “Remember when we used to think that Satori’s mother was a witch? Her hair was as red as his, and just as wild. She always gave us that stern look when she’d catch us playing near the lighthouse during storms. I always felt so scolded by just her expression. And I don’t think I ever heard her speak any of the times we saw her.”

“I still wonder what ever happened to her. It's like she just disappeared one day," Daichi said thoughtfully as he stretched his arms out and rolled his neck to relieve some tension. “We should ask Satori." 

"Yeah, that'll be rich. _'Hey Satori, nice to meet you officially. Some guys with water resistant hair saved us, can you get someone out there to find them. Also, what's with your mom disappearing?'_ Come for the water rescue, stay for the family secrets," Hajime quipped.

They laughed together as they started moving again. The lighthouse was only thirty feet from the edge of the rocky cliff, so they didn't have to walk long to get to its door. There was a strong breeze coming in from the sea, and the men both felt a deep chill as it blew on their soaked clothes. When they reached the large door, Daichi knocked loudly on the weathered wood before wrapping his arms against himself to fend off the cold. 

Hajime stood near the door with his hands in his front pockets, for all the good that did. His wet jeans were stiff and uncomfortable, bringing no warmth to his hands or legs. He was miserably cold and still very numb. When the door creaked open, he was met with the presence of Satori. He had never actually seen the man up close before. 

Satori had bright red hair that shot out from the roots, standing back and away from his face. It was almost as though he had stood in front of a strong wind with wet hair; it looked like it had dried and stuck that way. His big eyes were a playful brown tinted in red, not quite matching the intensity of his hair but complimenting it instead. His lips were curled into a flat smirk; the sides of his mouth were barely lifted as his eyes narrowed to inspect the visitors. His voice was far from serious as he began to speak. 

"My, my, my... who do we have here?" Satori looked at Daichi first, then Hajime. "Two young men at the door of my lighthouse, right after such a strong storm, and soaked to the bone. My goodness, how curious."

Daichi cleared his throat. "Sorry to bother you. I'm Daichi and this Hajime. We just came from barely managing to escape a stalled motorboat. We saw some men who helped us get to shore, but we think they’re still out there."

“You don’t say?” Satori replied in a playful voice that matched the look in his eyes.

Hajime cut in just then; he felt like Satori didn’t understand the weight of the situation. "The guy I saw deliberately swam back out to sea."

Satori looked between the two men; his eyes glinted in an amused way that didn’t seem fitting under the circumstances. When he spoke, it was slow and deliberate. "Very interesting, I must say. Won't you guys come in and get some dry clothes? It would be a shame to freeze to death after your miracle of an escape from the sea, after all." He stepped aside and gestured with both hands in towards the warmth of the lighthouse.

Daichi and Hajime exchanged a quiet glance before they stepped inside the door. Satori closed it behind them and walked over to a large wardrobe that was against the back wall; it seemed odd to have such a thing in a room that wasn’t a bedroom, but Satori treated it as perfectly normal. 

Hajime had never been inside the lighthouse before, so he looked around with interest. Aside from the wardrobe, there was a round table made from what looked like driftwood, though it was well sanded into a solid shape. It was surrounded by eight chairs made from wood that matched it. The table sat on top of a purple rug that was the same shape and almost twice the size of the table. And the floor was hardwood that almost matched the shade of the table. 

The white walls were curved with the shape of the lighthouse, and were lined with dark brown bookshelves that also curved along with the edges of the room. They filled with various things, which included a few books; though there were less than one would expect for the generous amount of shelves. There were many more board games and puzzles than there were actual books, for example.

There were two large windows with thick curtains over them that surrounded the door. And then there were round windows that spiraled alongside the stairs at eye level. The wardrobe was located just under the middle part of those stairs. 

The steps of the stairs were made from solid wood planks that were hardly more than two by fours. They were attached to the wall by just one end and rose up around half the room in a stretched spiral. There were no handrails, and the wooden planks were floating separately from each other; each one was spaced exactly the same distance apart from the one before and after. 

Hajime raised his head and wondered how far up such a precarious stairway went. If it led all the way up to the top of the lighthouse, then it would be over a 50ft climb. He could only see the first 10ft of it, as the ceiling of the room blocked the view. He felt no inclination to climb those stairs; they seemed like an accident waiting to happen.

Satori's voice brought Hajime's attention back to the wardrobe. "Unfortunately for you two, I don't have any towels. But there are plenty of clothes here, so come take your pick,” he said as he raised his arms up high. He then tilted his body sideways, painting with both hands at the now open wardrobe.

"Uh, thanks," Hajime said hesitantly. He decided that Satori was kind of an odd fellow.

"There’s underwear in the drawers there. Don't be shy, help yourself,” said Satori as he stepped towards the table and twirled around. Then he sat backwards and faced the two men as he crossed his arms over the top of a chair.

Hajime and Daichi tried to ignore Satori’s stare as they stripped out of their wet sweatshirts and shirts. They both grabbed a random tee shirt and pulled them on before removing their rubber boots and socks. Soon after, they stripped out of their jeans and underwear. Then they each quickly slipped on a pair of boxer briefs followed by matching black sweatpants. 

Hajime sighed in relief; it felt good to be mostly dry. Though the clothes were a little uncomfortable because he had been wet when he put them on. He left his wet clothes on top of where Daichi’s were and then hugged his arms around himself for a moment as a shiver ran through him. 

Meanwhile, Daichi pulled on a black sweatshirt with an orange hood and orange sleeves. And then Hajime pulled on a teal sweatshirt. There were many different types of clothes in the wardrobe, and it seemed excessive for just one man. It struck Hajime as strange. But then Satori himself seemed to be pretty strange.

"You seem to be taking your time with calling in a search and rescue team," Hajime said with a slight edge to his voice as he turned to look at Satori.

"Oh? Hmm. I'm not sure that’ll be necessary. Why don't you tell me more about these men you saw? No detail is too small," Satori said as his flat smile reached his squinting eyes.

Daichi and Hajime frowned at each other before answering carefully. Hajime spoke first. "The guy I saw had brown hair. It was long enough to reach his eyebrows and was kind of fluffy looking. He was shirtless for some reason. I didn't really see anything else about him. I think he gave me a peace sign before he disappeared back into the water… he seemed kind of pompous."

Satori's eyebrows raised slightly as he responded. "Hmmm? Mhm, I see. And what about the other guy?"

Daichi rubbed the back of his neck as he blushed. "He was young and handsome. Uh, he had silver hair that was dry even though he’d been in the water...."

Satori nodded as though he found these answers acceptable. "I think you can both rest easy. I'm sure those two are fine... quite sure, really."

Hajime felt suspicious of the way Satori was acting; his behavior was really casual even though he’d been told people might be drowning. "You do seem sure. A little too sure, if you ask me. If you don't send out for help and those men die, it's going to be your guilt to carry."

Satori made a circle with his mouth as he replied. "Ooooooooooh, it’s a risk I'll live with. Rest contentedly with, even. Now you boys better get going. I'm sure you want a hot shower and a warm meal. You have such a long walk around the bay to reach those things, don’t you?” 

Hajime felt rather speechless at the moment, and it seemed Daichi felt the same. 

Satori twisted out of his chair and jumped over to the door in a few long strides. Then he pulled it open with a flourish. "Go on now, and leave the wet clothes. I'll get them back to you clean and dry," he said with a wink.

Hajime turned towards Daichi, giving an _'I don't even know, let's just leave,'_ look. Daichi shrugged both shoulders in response. They both slipped their sockless feet into their boots and then walked to the door, thanking Satori for the clothes as they passed him.

As soon as they were outside, Satori said, “thanks for stopping by,” before slamming the door closed behind them.

Daichi looked at Hajime with an exasperated frown. "I can't tell if he was being friendly, rude or really weird."

Hajime scratched his head as he glanced back at the door of the lighthouse. "All the above, I think I'd say. He didn't even seem to care that those guys are out there."

Daichi sighed as he and Hajime started walking away from the lighthouse; they went towards the wide arc of land between the sea and bay that would lead them home. "Maybe he didn't believe us. I mean, a guy giving you a peace sign before throwing himself into a stormy sea? A young man with silver hair that’s apparently water resistant? I bet he thought we were the weird ones. He probably wanted to help us get dry out of basic courtesy and then get us out of his home."

Hajime tucked his hands behind his head and laughed. "You're probably right. There’s a good chance we were just seeing things, anyway. The mind does weird stuff when you're on the edge of death."

Daichi chuckled and trudged onward. "Well I'll be very happy to step away from the edge of death now, and step into a shower. Satori had that part right. A hot shower and a warm meal will fix us up."

"All we have to do now is walk home," Hajime grumbled; his stomach was growling at the mention of food, and it was going to be a long walk. 

Daichi groaned. "Yeah, that's all there is to it."


	4. Chapter 4

Two men came up from below the surface of the sea and started swimming towards the shore about thirty minutes after Hajime and Daichi left the lighthouse. Both men were completely naked, but neither seemed to be cold. They looked quite content with themselves as they made their way through the shallows of the water that had calmed significantly with the passing of the storm. The dark clouds had started to clear and the sun was shining down in patches of warmth once again; the weather around Crescent Moon Bay often changed quickly in that way.

One of the two men, named Tooru, had brown hair that was fluffy and dry despite the fact that he had just been completely submerged underwater. His hair would almost reach the middle of his nose if it were the type to fall flat, but it had enough volume to curl back and around in a gently ruffled fashion. He had attractive features, and brown eyes that were a few shades darker than his hair. One of his hands was held in front of him as a teal glow came from it; he was using magic to calm the waves in front of him so that it would be easier for himself and his companion to make their way out of the sea. 

Koushi was the other man’s name. His slightly tousled hair was a beautiful silver color. It was just long enough to fall around his ears and reach past his eyebrows, though he had it parted over the middle of his forehead. The natural breeze given by the sea blew it around easily, for it was just as dry as Tooru’s hair. He had pleasant features and a gently pointed chin, as well as a small beauty mark just underneath his left eye. The color of his eyes were hazel brown, and the look of them made him seem friendly as well as mischievous. His chest right over his heart was glowing in the slightest way, giving off an orange light. He was searching out the emotions of anyone who might be in the area, which was an efficient way to know if he and Tooru were alone or not. 

Despite looking just like humans, they were not really human men at all. They were both ningyo; a creature that was often wrongfully described as hideous by the folklore and legends passed down by humans over the years. In other parts of the world their kind might be called mermaids, selkies, marakihau, merrow, rusalka, or finfolk; they didn’t fit the description for any of those mythical creatures, though. But each culture had its own version of ningyo or the likes of them. There were many legends about humanlike beings that lived in the sea and had some type of magic, which might be used for good or evil. 

And all of the legends were at least partially true, but not many people knew or believed that. Most people were content with thinking that ningyo were nothing but fantasy and childsplay; a tale passed down to entertain and amuse, but not to be taken seriously. For what were myths and legends if not just made up stories?

Unsurprisingly, Satori was also a ningyo. He worked as a Light Keeper, as did all those belonging to the house of Tendou; everyone in his family could predict storms and sense curse related changes to the weather. Satori used the lighthouse at Crescent Moon Bay as a home for himself and the ningyo he worked with. There was always a guild of ningyo that would rely on the predictions of a Light Keeper to know when a storm was going to come. Those ningyo, who worked to save humans from the sea, were called Protectors.

The various guilds of Protectors that lived in lighthouses usually had less than ten members. They watched over the humans who swam, surfed and otherwise stayed close to shore when in the water; it was not common for them to conduct a rescue for a large vessel. But the Protectors of the deep sea had generously sized guilds, as there were often many humans in the water when a ship surrendered to a storm out at sea. These deep sea guilds could be as few as twenty or as many as fifty. 

There were three Protectors who lived with Satori at his lighthouse. Tooru and Koushi were each part of their own long lineage of Protectors. Satori, Tooru and Koushi had gone to school together while training for the day when they could be in a guild together. Wakatoshi was the other member, and he had only joined Satori’s lighthouse guild a year earlier. Those in his family were never Protectors; he was the first, though he had never mentioned what led him become one. 

All ningyo had an affinity for a type of magic that would benefit them in their particular role of bringing balance to the sea; the specific types were passed down through each lineage and had originally been gifts from the gods to the first ningyo that were created. Tooru’s magical abilities were exceptional precision when he swam and manipulation of water; the house of Oikawa was a well respected one among Protectors. Koushi had the ability to calm and otherwise alter the emotions of both humans and ningyo for a short time, as well as sense what others were feeling; he belonged to the house of Sugawara. Wakatoshi could transform into various kinds of animals, as was usual for members of the house of Ushijima. 

As Tooru and Koushi made their way out of the sea, they looked around the shore as though searching for something. They both caught sight of the motorboat that Hajime and Daichi had left at the base off the cliffside, and then they went to move towards it. 

“Luck was on our side today,” Tooru said in an unusually solemn voice as he walked across the beach below the lighthouse. In his arms were two fishing rods; they were the ones that belonged to Hajime and Daichi.

Koushi smiled ruefully at his naked friend as he adjusted his grip on Daichi’s red ice chest. “Was it luck that made those two almost drown?”

Tooru glanced at Koushi as they walked along the shore together. “It was lucky because we were able to save them. Imagine if we’d have gone to patrol further down the coast with Toshi, like he’d wanted us to. Those two might not have made it. In fact, I’m sure they wouldn’t have.”

After a pause, Koushi hummed thoughtfully; he had reached Hajime’s motorboat and went to set the red ice chest down inside of it. “You’re right. I’m really glad we decided to stick close by. Who would we watch from afar if those two weren’t here anymore?”

“We won’t have to watch from afar anymore now that we’ve rescued them. We’re not bound by those annoying treaty promises anymore,” Tooru said with a grin as he set the two fishing rods down inside the boat. “And thank the gods for that, because I’m dying to meet them both face to face.”

“So am I, obviously,” Koushi said with a giggle as he walked past the boat and went to start climbing up the cliffside. “You know, you sort of already met Hajime face to face when you were saving him.”

“That doesn’t count,” Tooru said with a slight pout as he followed along to climb up the rocky cliff. “I didn’t say much to him at all. He doesn’t even know my name.”

With a teasing grin, Koushi reached over to give Tooru a light shove before he reached out for another rock to climb up. “You could have introduced yourself. I mean, you’ve been waiting for the opportunity for years now.”

“You act like you haven't been waiting to talk to Daichi for just as long,” Tooru replied snarkily as he moved up the cliffside with careful movements. “And I couldn’t just stay to chat with him right then and there. I wanted to go get the fishing rods before the currents took them.”

“I know, and it’s a good thing you did. Those seem important to them,” Koushi replied. He and Tooru had gone back out to the sea after saving Daichi and Hajime; Tooru went to find the fishing rods and Koushi retrieved the ice chest. 

“I bet you didn’t talk to Daichi at all, did you?” Tooru said as he climbed up over the top of the cliffside and went to sit on a large rock. 

Koushi looked pleased with himself as he went to sit beside Tooru on the flat rock that rested right on the edge of the cliff. “I did talk to him. I told him everything would be okay as I used my magic to calm him down.”

“But did you tell him your name? And that you’ve eavesdropped on him while swimming underneath that little boat countless times?” Tooru asked as he glanced at Koushi playfully. Then he smiled and leaned his head back to let the sunshine wash over his face; it was growing brighter as more of the clouds cleared away. And when the light hit him just right, his skin had a bit of a shine to it. Even though he didn’t have any actual scales, he reflected light as though he did; all ningyo had that type of skin.

“Hey, you’ve eavesdropped too,” Koushi said as he blushed. “And no, I didn’t tell him my name or anything else. I read his emotions as I was there holding his boat steady while I waited for you, and he was really sad at first. He probably thought Hajime had drowned. But when he saw me, I could tell he was attracted to me. And I got shy all the sudden.”

Tooru gave something of a mischievous grin as he glanced sideways at Koushi. “You were never too shy to help him out every time he and Hajime were fishing.”

“That’s different. I didn’t have to talk, and he didn’t know I was there,” Koushi replied defensively. Though it was true that he liked to secretly help Daichi with fishing. Whenever Daichi and Hajime were out on the motorboat, Koushi would catch fish while swimming beneath the boat and then securely hook them onto Daichi’s line. “I wonder what Hajime will say when he finds out you’re the reason he has bad luck with fishing.”

“You better not say anything about it to him!” Tooru replied as he nudged against Koushi’s side. But he really was the reason for Hajime being bad at fishing, because he kept the fish from biting Hajime's hook. He would also tug on Hajime's line to make it seem like a fish had taken the bait; he didn’t have a good reason for doing so, he just liked messing with the easily flustered man.

Koushi started giggling as he spoke. “So you don’t want him to know the authentic you? The ‘you’ who loves hearing the way he groans when Daichi lectures him about proper fishing techniques?” 

Tooru rolled his eyes as he grinned at Koushi. “I just want to save that little fact for after we know each other better.”

Koushi let out a short sigh as he looked up at some seagulls flying overhead. “You know, our family won’t approve if we manage to get to know them. It’s still pretty taboo to be friends with a human, let alone think about dating one.”

“That’s true,” Tooru said quietly. “But we can’t help who we fall for, can we?”

Just then, a giant eagle came flying towards the lighthouse; he was coming in from out over the sea. Once the eagle reached the rock where Koushi and Tooru were sitting, he landed and then transformed into a ningyo with a short flash of purple light. In his human-like body, he was tall and muscular; much more muscular than either Koushi or Tooru. He had olive brown hair with eyes that matched, and strong facial features. He wore nothing but a stoic expression, for he was as naked as Tooru and Koushi were. This was because ningyo only wore clothes when they were on land so that they could blend in with humans more easily. When underwater, they went naked. It was normal for their kind. 

With a friendly grin, Tooru nodded at Wakatoshi. “Did you find any people needing rescue further out?”

“No. There were none,” Wakatoshi replied matter-of-factly. He then pointed down towards the bottom of the cliff. “Why is there a boat down there?”

Tooru gave a little happy scrunch of his nose as he answered. “It belongs to someone that got stranded in the storm. We had a little bit of a rescue just a while ago. Guess who we can talk to now?”

Wakatoshi looked at Tooru with a mellow expression. “Who?” 

Tooru tilted his head playfully as he brought his knees up to his chest. “You’re supposed to guess, Toshi.”

Wakatoshi gave a slight sigh as he shifted his stance. “It will be faster if you just tell me.”

When it became clear that Tooru was stubbornly waiting for a guess, Koushi spoke up in a cheerful tone. “We can talk to Hajime and Daichi now! We saved them today!”

“I see. How exciting for you,” Wakatoshi replied in a calm voice, but he was frowning as he spoke. Those in the house of Ushijima were among the ningyo who still remained bitter towards humans; it was their direct ancestor that was captured and killed by the fisherman so many years ago. “Will they be coming back for the boat?”

Tooru gave a wide smile as he went to stand up. “I’m going to bring it to the dock myself before they have a chance to come back for it. I want to surprise Hajime.”

Koushi went to stand up as well, then started walking away from the cliffside; he turned and spoke to Tooru over his shoulder. “You should invite him and Daichi to come over here so we can hang out.”

“Why would you have them come here? Go see them somewhere else if you insist on being around them,” Wakatoshi said in dismay as he followed the other two towards the lighthouse. “I hope they did not bother Tori.” 

“I’m sure they weren’t a hassle for your boyfriend to deal with,” Tooru said while giving Wakatoshi a sideways glance. When Wakatoshi started blushing, Tooru gave a satisfied grin. “I love how you still blush when I call Tori your boyfriend even though you’ve been dating for months now.”

After smiling and shaking his head, Koushi gave Tooru a nudge with his elbow. “Don’t tease him, you jerk. He’s just happy to be with Tori.”

Wakatoshi cleared his throat as the three of them reached the front door of the lighthouse. “I do feel very glad that I have Tori, and I hope that he feels the same way.” As he opened the door, Satori rushed over and jumped on him; he clung onto him like a koala bear.

Koushi giggled as he looked at the happy couple. “I think it’s safe to say that he’s glad to have you, too.”

Tooru rolled his eyes as he scooted past them. “Make way for the singles, you lovebirds.”

Satori let go of Wakatoshi and spun around so he could follow Tooru. “I had two very lovely visitors just a while ago, and thankfully my tongue didn’t burn when I talked to them. So I can only assume that you did actually save them. And thank the gods for that! If you two had kept up your pining much longer, I’d have had to go out and put Hajime and Daichi in danger myself just so you’d have a reason to save them.”

Wakatoshi reached an arm out to hold onto Satori’s waist and frowned as he followed the others into the lighthouse. “If you were to endanger a human, you would trigger one of the treaty curses.”

“Curses, smurses,” Satori replied lightheartedly. “They’re such a pain. I hate how we can’t talk to a human unless they’ve been saved before. It’s ridiculous! I feel like we got the short end of the treaty even though we were the ones who were hunted and killed.”

“And eaten,” Wakatoshi added coldly. “I agree that our ancestors should have asked for more from the treaty. We have spent countless years saving humans who have no idea how horrible their ancestors were.”

Satori reached out to pat Wakatoshi’s arm. “They _are_ quite terrible, aren't they darling? But the two that were here seemed genuinely worried about our friends. They wanted me to send out a search party, and Hajime seemed upset when he realized that I had no intention of doing so.”

Koushi and Tooru had reached the wardrobe at that point. Koushi went to pull open a drawer at the bottom of it, then got some fresh boxers out. He grinned at Tooru as he slipped them on. “Isn’t that sweet? He was worried about you.”

Tooru let out a happy hum. “I’ll have to thank him for his concern when I see him.”

Meanwhile, Satori had gone over to one of the chairs near the table. He sat down in it with a dramatic spin of his body. “You know, I’ve heard stories of those who've been judged harshly by their house elders for fraternizing with humans. There are many who are angry over being forced to uphold the treaty, even if so many of our kind seem to have forgotten the reason for it.”

“Those in the house of Ushijima will never forget,” Wakatoshi said solemnly as he pulled on boxers without drying himself first. None of them needed to dry off before getting dressed because ningyo were fully water resistant; it rolled right off of them, including their hair. 

“I’ve heard that there’s talk of dissolving the treaty since none of the humans even remember it anyway. That is, if the gods were to allow it,” Tooru said as he was digging through the underwear drawer with a frown. “Where are my favorite underwear?”

Satori grinned playfully as he loudly scooted his chair closer to Tooru. “I let Daichi and Hajime pick out clothes to borrow. You’ll never guess which ones they took.”

“Was it Hajime that took my favorite underwear?” Tooru asked as he grabbed some plain grey boxers and narrowed his eyes at them before putting them on.

“That’s right,” Satori replied in an amused voice. He gave his catlike grin that always crinkled the skin around his eyes. “I watched him get dressed because I was curious which clothes he’d be drawn to wearing. And everything he picked out belongs to you.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that he has good taste,” Tooru said as he started looking through more of the clothes. “Wait… did he take my favorite shirt, too? And my favorite hoodie?”

“That he did,” Satori said cheerfully as he sat up nice and tall. “And I’ve got his and Daichi’s clothes in the washer. I told them I’d make sure they were returned to them, and I thought you’d want to do it.”

Meanwhile, Koushi had gotten pants and a shirt on. He was now flipping through the coats that were on one side of the large wardrobe. “Did Daichi happen to take my hoodie? The one with the orange sleeves?”

Satori nodded vigorously. “Yep! I’d say that’s a good sign. Fate must want you to be together.”

Wakatoshi had just finished getting dressed in an odd combination of a purple sweatshirt with green pants. “I would not have guessed that fate intervened through hoodies and underwear.”

“They do say that it works in mysterious ways,” Tooru commented as he begrudgingly put on clothes that were not his favorites. “And if fate wants me to use clothes to get to Hajime, then I’ll do it! I’m going to wear his clothes when I take his boat over to the dock.”

“When are you planning on doing that?” Koushi asked curiously. 

Tooru looked thoughtful for a moment. “After breakfast tomorrow, I think. I’ll take the boat out to the dock and wait there until he comes.”

Wakatoshi raised eyebrow. “He may not even go there for a whole day, or several.”

“True. Maybe I’ll just take it to the cove by his house,” Tooru replied casually.

Satori gave a flat smirk while simultaneously narrowing his eyes. “Why do you even know where Hajime lives? And how long have you two been stalking those humans now? A year?"

Wakatoshi glanced between Tooru and Koushi. He seemed to disapprove of the conversation. “It was right after I got here last summer that they first mentioned them.”

Koushi and Tooru both looked guilty while blushing deeply; they avoided looking at Satori. It was Koushi who finally replied in a small voice. "We've been watching them since we first came here."

Satori slapped his hands on the table and started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh my gods! You guys have been here since you were fifteen! So you were basically just swimming under their boat and thinking _'fall in the water so I can save you'_ for the past five years! Gods that just too much!"

“What a lot of wasted time,” Wakatoshi said calmly as he watched Satori having a fit of laughter. 

But then Satori stopped laughing; he looked like he’d just realized something. "Hold on, now. Wait, wait, wait. Are these the same humans you _supervised_ during swimming lessons in that shallow cove up the coast? Is that the cove you were just talking about? If I recall, you two were both quite flushed when you told me about those humans back then. I thought it was the excitement of observing humans for the first time, but am I to find out that it was actually the birth of crushes? You little stalkers! That's how you know where Hajime’s house is, isn't it?"

Both Tooru and Koushi blushed even darker as they thought back to their early days living at the lighthouse. They had first come to live there when they were both fifteen. They spent a lot of time swimming through the waters along the coast; they explored all of Crescent Moon Bay as well as various coves and tide pools. It had been during one of those excursions that they found the small cove near Hajime's house. 

They had stumbled across an amusing scene there; Hajime was trying to teach Daichi how to swim. Hajime was getting impatient and Daichi was equally frustrated. That was Tooru and Koushi’s first experience with hearing an actual human conversation, and was also when they learned Hajime and Daichi's names. They happened to overhear plans to try again the next day at the same time, and decided they would supervise the lessons. Humans needed supervision during swimming, after all.

It continued every day that summer and ended with a few understandings: Daichi had barely become competent at floating in the water even though he had tried his best; Hajime may have been frustrated often, but he cared about his friend deeply; the elderly couple that came to watch some days cared for both boys like sons; and finally, Tooru and Koushi realized that they wanted to learn more about Hajime and Daichi. It was probably a fair assessment to say that their crushes had started back then.

Satori snapped his fingers at Tooru and Koushi, who were both lost in thought. "Hello, Earth to Tooru and Koushi. I asked you if that's how you know where Hajime's house is?"

“Fine! Yes, that’s how I know where his house is,” Tooru replied snappily as he crossed his arms and tossed his hair. “And yes, we’ve been swimming around under their boat for that long.”

“Well I’ll be damned,” said Satori as he leaned back in his chair, which almost made it tip back over. Luckily, Wakatoshi caught the chair before it fell and righted it. Satori stood up as he went to speak again. “You poor things! Five whole years of pining away with nothing to show for it.”

“And over a couple of humans,” Wakatoshi added dryly.

Koushi grinned and put on a confident air as he went to sit at the table. “It just means that we have a lot of lost time to make up for.”

Wakatoshi looked serious as he spoke. “You know nothing about who they really are. Humans are evil at heart, so be careful. And you should stay away from their house.”

Satori went to sit on Wakatoshi’s lap and gave him a tight hug. “You’re so jaded, Toshi. I hope you’ll be nice to those humans if they ever come around here.”

“I will not harm them. But I am not required to befriend humans,” Wakatoshi replied plainly. 

After coming to sit beside Koushi at the table, Tooru sighed deeply. “I think I’ll just go ahead and bring the boat back to the dock. Hajime might think it’s weird if I show up at his house before we've talked.”

Koushi giggled as he went to ruffle Tooru’s hair. “He’s probably going to think you’re weird no matter what.”

“You’re the weird one,” Tooru said playfully as he nudged Koushi. 

  
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

While Tooru was discussing his plans with his friends, Hajime and Daichi were still walking home. It took over an hour for them to get to their house, which was on the far edge of Skyway. The house sat on top of a hill that was just a short distance from a shallow cove; it was close enough to walk to within just a few minutes. 

The house itself was well maintained despite being very old; it’s dark grey paint showed no signs of fading or peeling despite the harsh salt filled air surrounding it. Hajime went back over it every couple years with fresh paint and sealant; he put a lot of care and effort into its upkeep, just as his grandfather had taught him to do. The house was a single story place and was built in such a way that it looked like a long rectangle with a bloated square middle. There was a white wrap around porch that surrounded the entire house, which had been Hajime’s grandmother's favorite place to relax; it had a wonderful view of the sea from one side. Beside the house was a separate building meant to be a two car garage, though it was exclusively used for storage.

It was just past 6 o'clock when Hajime and Daichi got to the house, which was right around their usual dinner time. They ate a mostly silent meal of canned soup; they were too worn out to make decent conversation or cook anything that the microwave couldn’t handle. The whole time, Hajime was thinking about his boat and how much of a pain it would be to row it back to the dock. He would have to walk all the way back out to the lighthouse, and then row it all the way back from there. And he likely wouldn’t be able to do so the next day since he had to work. However, he and Daichi had the next two weeks off from work after they finished the next day’s shift. They had taken some time off because they had friends coming into town. So he would have plenty of time to fix his boat, at least.

After the simple and silent meal, Hajime started washing the dishes while Daichi went to use the shower in the bathroom attached to his bedroom. Hajime had a bathroom attached to his bedroom as well; each of the four bedrooms of the house did. Hajime’s grandfather had wanted the bedrooms to feel private since he built the house with both comfort and multigenerational living in mind.

On one side of the house were two bedrooms, and on the other side were the remaining two bedrooms. Right in the middle of the house, in the bloated square, was a huge open space. This area had a large dining table by the back door that was across from the long island counter of the kitchen, a u-shaped couch that faced a wide tv, two long bookshelves filled with books that once belonged to Hajime's grandmother, some comfy arm chairs and side tables by the front door, and a generously sized kitchen space that had a stacked washer and dryer in the back corner. Hajime had kept the furniture the same after his grandparents passed away; there were too many memories attached to it all for him to even consider replacing any of it. And everything from their old bedroom was stored carefully out in the garage.

There were many windows throughout the house to let in lots of natural light, and the back windows by the kitchen area faced the sea; the view from there was amazing, especially during a storm. Hajime used to love sitting there as a child as lightening flashed across the sky. And whenever his dad was home with him during a storm, they'd watch together. 

Once Hajime had finished washing up the dishes, he went to his room and turned on the light. It was a pretty standard bedroom; it had a bed, desk, laundry basket, and nightstand. It was nothing fancy since Hajime preferred a neat space over a decorative one. But he did have a few photos of his family hanging around his room. There was one of him and his dad when he was thirteen from right after he was given the motorboat. And one of him with his grandparents when he was a baby, as well as another one with them when he was in teens. He even had a picture of his mother from before he was born. He didn’t feel much attachment to her since he had never known her, but it was interesting to see how similar his mother’s eyes were to his own.

As he was walking past his closet, Hajime caught sight of himself in the large mirror on his closet door. His gaze lowered to the clothes he wore which reminded him that they were not his own. His mind wandered back to the lighthouse as he pulled off the teal sweatshirt and tossed it towards the laundry basket; it would be impolite to return the borrowed clothes before he had washed them, after all. Before he took off the borrowed shirt, his reflection grabbed his attention again. On the front of the black tee shirt he wore was a big green alien head; he hadn’t been paying attention to what shirt he grabbed when getting dressed at the lighthouse, so he had not realized what was on it. He stared at it for a few seconds while realizing that it must something that Satori was into; that wouldn't be that surprising, since Satori seemed like the sort of guy to believe in aliens and supernatural things.

Hajime chuckled to himself as he pulled off the shirt and tossed it in the laundry basket, followed by the borrowed black sweatpants. He then slipped off the borrowed underwear and went to throw them in the laundry basket. But before he did so, he noticed that they were not black with teal ovals like he had thought; they were black with tiny teal alien heads. "Wow, now that's a bit much. It's like these belong to an overgrown child," Hajime said out loud to himself while throwing the underwear in with the other clothes.

He then walked into his bathroom, which was always clean and tidy, and turned on the water in the shower. He stepped in once the water was hot, which barely took any time at all. He felt grateful that he had put in a tankless water heater six months ago because it gave him all the hot water he needed to zone out while in the shower for forty-five minutes, and today was that kind of day. He let the water run down his neck and back as he leaned his head forward with his hands against the wall of the shower. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander around to wherever it wanted to go.

A thought came to him after he had been in the shower for a few minutes; when he had looked at the stranger who was pulling him along in the water, there had been a teal reflection of some sort. And something about that was nagging at him. He felt like there was an experience he couldn't remember that was related to the situation, and that the teal reflection of light had something to do with it. It was almost like a sense of déjà vu. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t figure out what was causing that feeling. 

Once he had finished his shower, he dried his hair somewhat aggressively with his towel due to his overall exasperation with how his day had gone. After he hung the towel to dry, he went to brush his teeth. He stared at himself in the mirror while he did so and felt a bit of sadness; he looked so much like his father and sometimes that made him miss the man terribly. Even though it had been seven years since his father had died, the pain of the loss still snuck up on him sometimes. He allowed himself a few moments to feel the pain of his grief and then forced himself to move on, because neither his father nor his grandparents would have wanted him moping around. 

Soon he went back into his bedroom and glanced at the clock on his nightstand. It read 8:00 exactly, but it felt even later than that. The long day was catching up to him and he was ready for sleep. After he slipped on some clean boxers, he walked over to turn off the light. But then his eyes caught sight of the alien boxers that were right on the top of his laundry basket. He shook his head slightly as he thought about what a strange day it had been; it left him feeling sort of grouchy and confused. After he had shut off the light and crawled into his bed, he thought of how he wished he could tell his grandparents about everything that had happened that day. They would have been intrigued, and probably would have had some strange stories about the sea that they could have shared in return; he deeply missed hearing them tell stories and talk about the memories they had made over their lives. 

Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easily to Hajime. He kept turning the events of the day over and over in his mind until he was sick of thinking about it. And when he finally drifted off to sleep, it was fitful; his dreams were vivid and intense. He saw himself and Daichi falling from the boat into the sea as if he were watching from a short distance away. His body experienced the stress and worry of the heart pounding moment when he had raced to tie his best friend to the boat before the wave could take them both. When that dream ended, it shifted into the moment he had heard the news that his father had died at sea; he felt the loss all over again and cried quietly in his sleep.

He had many other dreams involving the sea that were either unpleasant or confusing. But the most intense and detailed of all his dreams was the one where he was being churned under the dark water again. The panic of the experience pulsed through his body as he slept and sweat broke out all over his unconscious body. The burning feeling is his lungs felt as real as it had out there in the water. And then a hand pulled him to the surface like it had in real life. But instead of dark clouds, the sky above the surface was sunny; he was suddenly standing on the beach of the cove near his house. And there in the water in front of him was a teal glow. 

He tried to walk towards it, but his feet were stuck in the sand. So he reached down and dug them out as fast as he could. But when he stood up, the teal glow was gone. In place of it stood the stranger that had saved him; the stranger was waist deep in the water and shirtless as he smiled at Hajime. When Hajime tried to call out to the stranger in his dream, the words _'who are you'_ seemed to be stuck in his throat. And all the while, the stranger was looking at him so intensely with that same friendly smile on his face, yet he said nothing. Hajime stumbled forward and reached a hand towards the stranger, but the stranger then disappeared under the water.

At that point, Hajime woke up with a start and sat up in bed; he was breathing hard and could feel the sweat sticking to his skin from his stressful dreams. He blinked repeatedly and squinted as his eyes adjusted to the light of morning. The image of the stranger going down into the water gripped his mind tightly; he felt sure now that he had not been hallucinating. That man had been real, and was probably dead after having gone back into the sea again; Hajime shuddered as guilt washed over him. But at the same time, he also felt a memory surface in his mind from when he was a teenager. 

In his memory, he was teaching Daichi how to swim. They were in the water of the cove by Hajime's house. Daichi had water up to his chest and had told Hajime that his foot was caught on a large bunch of driftwood. So Hajime dove under the murky water to get Daichi’s foot unstuck. While under water, he had trouble pulling the branches apart. He had been feeling around for a rock to smash against the driftwood as a last resort, but a teal reflection of light in the corner of his eye drew his focus. He turned his head and saw it flash again; it had grown smaller, as though it were further away. At that point, he had to come up for air. When he went back down below the surface, he didn't see the teal light anymore. 

Hajime was too tired to make sense of the sudden memory. He looked at the clock and saw that it was 5:45am, which was an hour earlier than he usually got up and almost two hours before he needed to leave for work. He ran his hand down his face and yawned before he climbed out of bed. Then he grabbed a pair of jeans off the floor and pulled them on. Next he opened his closet and grabbed a shirt, then looked for a sweatshirt. But then he remembered that he needed to wash his laundry; all his sweatshirts were dirty.

He sighed and went to shuffle around in his laundry basket in hopes of finding one that was clean enough to use, but then he saw the teal sweatshirt that still sat near the top. He stared at it for a moment before he decided that it was probably the cleanest sweatshirt in there, so he pulled it on over his head. Then he slipped his phone into his pocket before stopping by his bathroom to freshen up. Afterwards, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a protein bar before he slipped his shoes on at the front door and walked outside.

A thick fog had settled overnight and it made it hard to see very far ahead, but that was okay; Hajime knew Skyway like the back of his hand. He hoped that walking would calm his nerves and settle his mind, but the guilt only grew as he walked aimlessly through town. He thought of things he wished he would have done differently: he wished he had grabbed the stranger when he went to grab the boat; he should have taken the stranger’s wrist and pulled him to safety, just like the stranger had done for him; he should have followed through on getting help for the stranger. Countless thoughts like that circled around his mind.

After what was close to an hour of aimless walking, Hajime looked around himself and noticed that his feet had taken him to the shore of Crescent Moon Bay; he was standing right by the start of the dock. He frowned at being reminded that he would need to row his boat all the way back from the lighthouse, which brought his mind's focus to the aches in his arms and legs. He had been sore last night from all the difficult swimming, but it was even worse now; work wasn’t going to be fun, but at least he had a nice break from it coming up after that day's shift. He decided to go sit on the dock and watch the fog move around over the bay, thinking it would be good to rest his muscles before he made the walk back home. He always felt calmer after watching the water and he hoped it might give him the sense of peace that he was seeking. 

Hajime stepped onto the dock and glanced around at the bay which had a thick blanket of fog settled over it; he loved the way it looked, as though a cloud were trying to land on the water. As he made his way along the dock, he thought of how suddenly the storm had come upon him and Daichi the day before; it had been the first time he had ever been caught in a storm while at sea. A deep part of his mind thought of his father, who had died at sea during a storm so long ago. He felt a new sense of loss and sadness since he now understood what he hadn't when he was younger; to be caught in a storm was truly scary, but realizing you were going to drown was even worse. And he knew his father had been alone when he died since he had been the only one who didn’t make it off the ship. That knowledge weighed heavily on Hajime’s heart. 

As he neared where he usually tied his boat off, his feet stilled; there in its usual spot was his boat, which was somehow no longer at the shore below the lighthouse. But more surprising was what was inside of it. Or rather, who was inside of it; there was a man sprawled across one of the two bench seats. His arms were folded behind his head, which rested on one edge of the boat. His body stretched across the length of the bench seat and his legs were over the other edge of the boat. His bare feet rested on the dock as the water gently rocked the boat around where it was tied off. 

The man had brown hair and seemed familiar; Hajime suddenly realized that it was the man who had saved him from the water. The man's eyes were closed, and there was a soft smile on his lips. He had dark jeans on, which were folded up from the bottom so that they came to right under his knees. And he was wearing a dark grey sweatshirt that had 'Godzilla Will Come Again' in black print across the front. Hajime recognized that sweatshirt, of course; it was the one he had gotten from his grandmother. He realized he must have left it at the lighthouse with his other clothes without thinking, despite how special it was to him. 

The man had opened his eyes while Hajime was standing there in shock and then glanced over with a confident grin. “Hello, there. I’m Tooru, it’s nice to meet you.

"You're that guy from the water yesterday, and you’re wearing my favorite sweatshirt," Hajime said gruffly, and with a relieving amount of composure considering the fact that his brain was short circuiting.

Tooru sat up and laughed merrily. "I like the sweatshirt you're wearing too. In fact, I liked it enough to buy it in the first place."

Hajime looked at Tooru with a slight frown, then he glanced down at the teal sweatshirt that he wore. "This is your sweatshirt?"

"My most comfortable sweatshirt, yes. Tori said you also borrowed my shirt and underwear. Are you wearing those right now as well? Since you seem to share my great taste in clothes, I won't ask you to strip out of them. But I would like them back soon… after you've washed them, obviously," Tooru said with a playful air. 

So many questions were bouncing around in Hajime's head: Those dorky alien clothes belong to Tooru? Why does Tooru keep clothes at the lighthouse? How did Tooru get the boat to the dock?

Tooru broke the silence while Hajime was still thinking of what to say. “You should get a new boat, you know. This one’s in bad shape. It’s no wonder the engine died on you during the storm.”

Hajime twisted his mouth bitterly at that. He liked his boat very much; it had been the last birthday gift he had ever received from his father. “I don’t want a new boat. My dad gave this one to me right before he died.”

Tooru looked like he was regretting what he had said as he went to sit up in the boat. He gave Hajime a soft look as he spoke. “Oh… I’m sorry.”

“It was a long time ago,” Hajime replied as he shuffled his feet and scratched the back of his head. “Can I have my sweatshirt back? It happens to be important to me."

After a moment of studying Hajime’s face, Tooru seemed to snap out of whatever thought he had been stuck in. "Why did you leave it behind if it’s so important? But fine, you can have all your clothes back right now."

Before Hajime could process those words and respond, Tooru stood up and jumped onto the dock. Then he pulled the sweatshirt off himself and tossed it at Hajime's feet. Next he pulled off the shirt, followed by the pants. He gently threw them both at Hajime. But when Tooru was about to slip out of the boxers, Hajime picked up the discarded pants and shoved them back at Tooru. 

“You don’t have to give it all back right now! Let’s just trade sweatshirts,” Hajime said as he blushed lightly.

Tooru ignored Hajime’s offer and took the boxers off instead; he gave a playful grin as he did so. “You humans are so weird about nudity. And I’m still waiting on a thank you for saving your life and getting your stuff back, you know. Are all humans as impolite as you are?”

Hajime glanced away so that he wasn’t staring directly at Tooru’s naked body. “What do you mean by all humans? You're a hum…” Hajime’s words trailed off abruptly when his eyes moved to his boat; something red had caught his eye. It was Daichi's ice chest. And right beside it were two fishing rods. They were his and Daichi's fishing rods, which had been such precious gifts from his grandfather. 

"I can’t believe it," Hajime whispered as he reached down and pulled them out of the boat. He held them to his chest and felt tears prick his eyes; it was like a piece of his grandfather's love had come back to him. Hajime had no idea how Tooru had gotten them back out of the water. “How did you do this?”

Tooru cleared his throat and walked to the edge of the dock to stand beside Hajime. “It was no big deal, they didn’t sink too far down.” 

Just then, Hajime’s phone alarm started to go off. “Oh, shit. I need to go. I have work soon,” he said in a rush. Then he tried to avoid looking down at Tooru’s body while speaking. “I don’t know how you managed to do this, but thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Aw, I had hoped we could hang out for a bit,” Tooru said with a frown. “But okay, I won’t keep you if you have somewhere to be.” 

Hajime spoke as he adjusted his hold on the fishing rods. “Will you meet me here tomorrow morning around this same time?”

Tooru's face brightened up significantly at that. "Okay, it’s a date! Hang onto my clothes until then," he said with a wink. Then he gave a peace sign before he gracefully dove into the dark water of the bay. 

Hajime stood there and stared at the remaining ripples in the water where Tooru had just literally peaced out into the ocean for the second time. His mind was spinning too fast for him to make any sense of his thoughts. It had definitely been an unusual interaction, and he didn’t know how Tooru could stand being in the cold water without a wetsuit on.

He went to pick up his pile of clothes and the ice chest, then shuffled along towards shore while balancing all of his recovered possessions. But he glanced back a few different times and scanned the surface of the water to see if Tooru had come back up for air, or had perhaps climbed out of the water. But there was no sign of anyone around the docks. His eyes then moved across the water of the bay, checking all over the surface that still had such a heavy blanket of fog laid over it. But he saw no sign of Tooru at all. He frowned as his mind tried to puzzle out where Tooru could have gone. 

He ended up sprinting towards home, so he was out of breath when he reached his front porch. Daichi was just stepping outside and closing the front door at that moment; he looked relieved to see Hajime.

"Oh, hey! There you are. If we don't leave now, we’re going to be late for work. I didn't know if you’d already left so….” Daichi's words died on his lips as he noticed the ice chest and the fishing rods in Hajime's arms. He stared at them unblinking, and then looked at Hajime with a seriously puzzled expression. "How the hell did you get those back?" 

Hajime walked up the steps of the porch and stepped around Daichi to open the door. He set his armful of stuff down just inside the house, then closed the door and turned to Daichi. "Lets go, I'll tell you as we walk."

Daichi looked back at the door once, then turned to follow after Hajime. The two men walked side by side along the road which was still heavily fogged over. The fish canning plant was located on the shore between the tide pools and one arm of Crescent Moon Bay, so it was relatively close to Hajime’s house. It was a pretty large factory, and there was a long dock on the outside of it where ships could come to drop off their catch of the day. The sea around Skyway was always abundant with fish, so the plant was open year round. 

Daichi waited patiently to hear the story as Hajime went along silently. When several minutes had passed, he cleared his throat.

Hajime startled slightly at the sound and then glanced at Daichi apologetically. "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts. So… I went for a walk this morning. I didn't sleep well and wanted to clear my head, you know. I ended up at the shoreline of the bay. So I walked over to the dock to sit down and rest a bit before I came back. That's when I saw my boat tied off in its usual spot."

Daichi raised his eyebrows as he walked along beside Hajime. "That’s really weird. How did it get there?"

After a brief pause, Hajime replied. "That's not the strangest part. Relaxing in the boat was the man who saved me yesterday."

Daichi stopped walking as if he was too shocked to move his legs. "You’ve got to be kidding… seriously? I barely slept last night because I was thinking that those men must have died out there because of us. Was there a silver haired man with him?"

Hajime had also stopped walking and went to shake his head. "No, sorry. It was just the one guy in there. Tooru is what he said his name was. I didn't see the silver haired guy, and I didn't think to ask Tooru about him."

"Did this Tooru guy say anything? Did he say how he got our stuff back, or how he got the boat to the dock? Or maybe how he survived after swimming around in that storm?" Daichi asked as he started to walk again. 

Hajime went to follow after Daichi. "No, we didn't have a chance to talk much. I was caught off guard because he was wearing my clothes."

"The clothes you had left the lighthouse?" asked Daichi as he reached over and pulled Hajime's arm to get him to turn onto the right street. 

Hajime nodded automatically; he was still lost in the memory of the strange incident. "Yeah. And before I knew it, he stood up and took all my clothes off of himself."

"So he stripped naked in front of you?" Daichi asked incredulously as he glanced at Hajime. 

“Yeah. He didn’t seem to think it was a big deal at all,” Hajime said with a slight chuckle and a light blush. “Anyway, I’m going to meet him again tomorrow morning so I can find out more." He didn’t mention that Tooru had called it a date, which would have been kind of embarrassing. Not that he was opposed to it being a date; he just hadn’t meant it like that when he had suggested meeting up.

Daichi scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "I wonder if he knows if the silver haired guy is okay. I'd like to thank him for saving me." 

Hajime glanced at Daichi as they walked along; they were almost at the fish cannery. "I’ll try to remember to ask about him.”

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

The door to the lighthouse house opened and Tooru let himself inside; he was still naked since he had just come from talking to Hajime at the dock. He walked right over to the wardrobe, then opened it and looked through one of the drawers without saying anything. His expression was both joyful and smug as he hummed a happy tune to himself. 

Wakatoshi was at the table with a puzzle in front of him. He glanced up from his activity and looked right at Tooru as he spoke. “You came back much sooner than I thought you would. Was the human awful to be around?”

“Not at all,” Tooru replied cheerfully. “He was interesting, and I think he likes me already.”

"When you said you wanted to tease him a bit by wearing his clothes, I didn't think you meant you'd be stripping out of them," Koushi said from where he sat at the round table in the middle of the room, where he was helping with the puzzle. His chair conveniently faced the wardrobe so that he could stare at his naked friend with an interrogative expression; he had an elbow on the table and his chin was resting on his fist as he gave Tooru a smirk. 

"You know very well that it wasn't what I had in mind. I only wanted to give him a bit of a startle by wearing his clothes when I showed up. And it worked out well. I think he was pleasantly surprised. But he had to go to work, so we didn’t get to hang out," Tooru said as he selected a pair of boxer briefs and pulled them on.

Koushi chuckled mischievously. "When one meets a cute man face to face for the first time, one isn’t supposed to strip naked to break the ice. You’re not going to blend in with the humans very well if you keep that up.”

Tooru shrugged one shoulder while giving a playful grin. “Who said I want to blend in? Besides, Hajime didn’t seem to have any complaints,” he said as he pulled light colored jeans out of the wardrobe and stepped into them.

Satori was between Koushi and Wakatoshi with both his elbows on the table. His chin rested between his open palms and he playfully tilted his head to one side as he spoke. "Mhmm I’m sure Hajime was completely shocked. He probably spent all night thinking that you had died because of him."

After hearing those words, Tooru’s whole body froze in place. His hands still held the blue shirt that he had been about to put on. His eyes were glossed over and his mind was somewhere else; he was stuck in a memory that it seemed like he would never fully escape from.

After sensing the surge in Tooru’s emotional turmoil, Koushi angrily kicked the chair out from under Satori; it made his unexpecting victim land roughly on the rug below. "Don't tease him about that kind of thing,” he hissed in a serious tone.

Satori yelped as he hit the floor.

Wakatoshi moved to help Satori up as he gave Koushi a disapproving look. “Why did you do that?” 

“He knows why,” Koushi replied frositily as he crossed his arms.

Satori stood with a loud groan. "I wasn’t thinking about what I was saying, and I definitely wasn’t trying to bring _that_ up. Stop throwing guilt waves at me. You're abusing your powers," he said while narrowing his eyes at Koushi and rubbing where his lower back had hit the chair as he fell. Then he went to sit on Wakatoshi’s lap to allow himself to be cuddled and comforted.

Koushi was about to scold Satori further for bringing up a sore topic, but Tooru cleared his throat loudly. After he pulled on his shirt, he turned to Koushi with a grin that was not fully genuine. "You don't have to calm me or punish Tori. I'm fine.”

Koushi didn't call Tooru out on his lie; he knew his friend was still feeling really upset by the memory that everyone in the room except for Wakatoshi knew about. “I still can’t believe you stripped in front of Hajime,” he said, trying to change the subject back to a more pleasant one.

“You're going to make it obvious that you have a crush on him," Satori said from within Wakatoshi's arms while giving Tooru a wide smile that crinkled his eyes.

Tooru blushed slightly before flipping his hair and replying in an easy going tone. "My methods are foolproof, thank you very much. Koushi should try it. Maybe then he could catch a date instead of just secretly helping Daichi catch fish."

It was Koushi's turn to blush. "I'll have you know that it's very satisfying to feel Daichi gloat while Hajime radiates frustration. When people have close bonds, feeling their emotional give and take is like watching a drama or reading a good book. It’s free entertainment."

Satori laughed heartily from where he still sat on Wakatoshi’s lap. "We finally hear you admit that you toy with emotions for fun!"

Koushi shook his head defensively, though he was smiling in a way that made him seem guilty. "I would never! It's just nice to feel like a part of the human world sometimes, and I like listening to their conversations.”

Tooru sat down at the table next to Koushi and clicked his tongue while shaking his head. "Toying with emotions and eavesdropping on conversations. It's as if the emotional snooping just isn't enough for you," he teased while reaching out to ruffle Koushi’s hair.

In response, Koushi reached over and held Tooru's face between both of his hands, then gave it a good squeeze. "You eavesdropped too, you brat!"

Tooru absentmindedly flicked at Koushi's hands until his face was released. "If anyone was curious, I do in fact have a date with Hajime tomorrow morning.”

Before anyone could answer, there was a short knock at the door. They all turned to look at it but none of them moved to open it. Humans didn't often come to the lighthouse. When they did, it was only to take pictures of the outside. The only people that might come to the lighthouse door were the ones who had been there the previous day: Hajime and Daichi.

“Should we pretend not to be here?” Wakatoshi asked as he frowned at the door with a look that was entirely uninviting. 

“Don’t be a goose,” Satori said playfully as he slipped off of Wakatoshi’s lap and made his way towards the large wooden door. 

Wakatoshi raised an eyebrow. “I have never transformed into a goose before and have no intention of doing so, unless the need should arise.”

Koushi grinned mischievously. “We could use a goose around here to guard the front door.” 

Meanwhile, Satori had paused at the door and was about to look through the small peephole to see who was outside. However, he didn’t get the chance; the door slowly started to open as a voice said, "Tori? Are you here?"

At that point, Satori grabbed the handle and yanked the door open the rest of the way, revealing two completely naked and totally surprised ningyo who were very much not Hajime and Diachi.

One of them looked caught off guard by the sudden opening of the door. His delicate features were painted with worry and his golden brown eyes were wide; his pupils were more of an oval than a circle, and they seemed catlike. His shoulder length hair was naturally blonde with black roots, as was common among his lineage. It gathered around his face as though it were two curtains waiting to be pulled closed. And just after the door had swung open, his slender body shimmered in a bright red glow and then faded until he was completely see-through. 

The taller man had black hair that was just long enough to curl loosely across his mid forehead and cover the tops of his ears. He had pleasant features and a sharp chin, and his eyes were dark blue; they looked both serious and thoughtful. As he stared at Satori, one of his hands moved to his hips in a rather sassy way. Then he calmly spoke while he gave Satori a reprimanding look. "You’ve gone and startled Kenma. Now he's put on his camouflage."

Satori whistled in an impressed way and then replied in a friendly tone as he clapped his hands together a couple times. "Well, well, well! If it isn't Keiji and Kenma. Long time no see! What's it been, a year?"

Keiji pupils glowed gold before he answered. "It's been exactly 425 days. We’ve finally been granted permission to join your guild and live here at the lighthouse. My apologies for not sending word before we came, I hope this isn't a bad time."

Satori stepped back out of the walkway and swept an arm towards the table. "Not at all, we were just having a very neat conversation. Help yourselves to clothes and then please come sit down to join us. You can catch us up on what we missed back home after we let you in on what Tooru just told us."

Keiji and Kenma both stepped into the room, and then Keiji looked at his two old friends sitting at the table; he had known Koushi and Tooru since childhood, just as long as he’d known Satori. But he had known Kenma the longest. He nodded at his friends with an affectionate expression and then gave Wakatoshi a polite nod as well.

“Welcome home,” Koushi said with a warm smile.

Tooru grinned at Keiji fondly. "I'm so happy that you two are finally going to live here, and right when we’ve had an interesting development."

Kenma’s voice came from where his invisible body was standing. "Neither of you seem sick, but your faces are red. And Tori seems smug. Since you've had an 'interesting development,’ I'll assume that Tooru and Koushi have finally had contact with those humans they've been pining after."

Wakatoshi seemed impressed by Kenma’s assessment. He had first come to the lighthouse right when Keiji and Kenma were ending their visiting during the previous year, and he didn’t know either of them that well yet. "You guessed very accurately, Kenma.”

Koushi smiled sheepishly at how easily Kenma had figured out their news. “It’s to be expected from a member of the house of Kozume."

If the light was just right, a shimmer in the air could be seen where Kenma was when he went into camouflage; he didn't become truly invisible, he just blended into the colors around him. It was one of the abilities of those belonging to the house of Kozume. The other was the power of deduction; an enhanced ability to observe and draw conclusions. Usually those in his family had the more dangerous jobs that came with keeping order in the sea, but Kenma had wanted to stay with his friends and become a Protector. The elders of his house had argued against it, which is why it took so long for his assignment to Satori's lighthouse to be approved. And Keiji had stayed in the deep sea ningyo city to help argue Kenma’s case to the elders over the past year. 

Suddenly, boxers and a pair of tan cargo shorts slid over the empty looking spot where Kenma stood. Then a t-shirt and an oversized red hoodie slid over where the top of his body was. Meanwhile, Keiji pulled on some boxer briefs and dark grey slacks. Then he selected a blue sweater that matched his eyes before he came to sit at the table. 

After a long sigh, Tooru nudged Koushi's arm. "Help calm Kenma down so he comes out of his camouflage. I feel weird looking at just his clothes."

Koushi grinned in an amused way that made his eyes twinkle. “He’s already calm. He’s just staying camouflaged to mess with you.”

Tooru crossed his arms. "I should have known."

"How often have you been seeing your human? I figured you'd still be following him around under his boat,” Kenma said as he moved to one of the chairs; his smirk could practically be heard in his voice even if it couldn’t be seen.

"If you're mean to me, I won't tell you about our storm rescue yesterday," Tooru said with a slight pout. He then stuck his tongue out at the chair that Kenma's body blended into. 

Red light glowed briefly in the shape of Kenma, and his body soon reappeared. He stared at Tooru expectantly once he was visible again. "So you rescued Hajime yesterday?"

Satori chimed in with a cheerful voice as he went to return to Wakatoshi’s lap. "Both Hajime and Daichi! And it’s about time, too. Tooru and Koushi have been so desperate to talk to them. I found out yesterday that it’s been five whole years since they started following those humans around.”

Keiji hummed thoughtfully. “That’s a long time to wait for the off chance that they would need to be rescued.”

Wakatoshi spoke coolly as he hugged his arms around Satori. "It was cruel for the humans to insist that the treaty require us to save them, but not allow us to speak to or touch them before doing that. They did not want us to live side by side.”

Kenma hunched his shoulders as he spoke. "Humans are weird anyway."

Satori brought Wakatoshi’s hands higher up his chest so that he could hold them against himself as he spoke. "It's funny that humans decided that any of us could talk to a human who was saved by a ningyo in the past. But then us ningyo can only talk to a human that was saved by one of us. We don't earn the right to talk to all humans even if we save hundreds of them."

Keiji’s pupils flashed a gold color; it happened when he was using his magically enhanced memory. "Actually, it was the ningyo elders who insisted that after a human had been saved, the restrictions would be lifted on that specific human for all ningyo. It was also our kind who insisted that a human could talk to or touch any ningyo after they’d been saved. Before the humans hunted us, there had been some who chose to come into the sea to be accepted into the house of their lover. We altered those humans so that they could live with us in the water. And the elders of those days didn't want ningyo to be afraid to speak to the humans already living among our kind, nor take away the option for those types of relationships in the future."

Wakatoshi looked overwhelmed by the amount of information Keiji had shared. “It amazes me that you can recall all of that, though I know your magic is helping you.”

As a member of the house of Akaashi, Keiji could store endless information in his mind; he never forgot anything he learned. That was the magic possessed by those of his lineage. The house of Akaashi was a prestigious one among ningyo, especially because the memories of the former generations were passed on to the new generations; they were a living and breathing archive of history. That ability could be applied to countless jobs, but Keiji chose to be a Protector because he wanted to work at the lighthouse with his best friends. 

Koushi had slouched forward onto the table to rest his chin on his hands. "There are no more humans with us in the sea now, are there?” 

Satori turned to his side on Wakatoshi’s lap so that he could wrap his arms around the man’s shoulders while looking at Koushi. “Well, it’s been hundreds of years since the treaty was first made. After so long of staying separate, I guess it's been hard for our kind to trust humans again."

“Closer to impossible if you ask me,” Wakatoshi said as he hugged his arms around Satori’s waist. 

Keiji hummed thoughtfully; his pupils glowed steady gold while he accessed his impressive memory. "I've never learned of any in my lifetime, nor from any of the generations after the treaty. But before the fighting had started, when a human had been adapted for living in the sea, they were granted our long lifespan. And their soul was also entered into our cycle of rebirth when they died. So it stands to reason that while no adapted human bodies live in the sea anymore, there are still hybrid souls within some of us today. And the gods of the sea continue to answer prayers for humanity and ningyo alike, though the gods of the land often forsake those of us who belong to the sea."

Koushi chuckled as he looked at Keiji. "I feel like I was back in one of our history classes.”

Satori nodded and gave a playful grin. “Yeah. It's like you were reciting all that straight from the books."

"I never forget anything. So it's quite easy for me to recall our lessons. Besides, one member of the house of Akaashi had been present at the treaty signing, so I have direct memories from that ancestor," Keiji said nonchalantly as he held his hands together on the table and played with his fingers, which was a habit of his. 

Tooru tilted his head and spoke in a teasing voice. "How would you know if you forgot something though, if it's something that you can't remember?" 

Keiji rolled his eyes at Tooru, then turned to look from Wakatoshi to Kenma. "I understand why you two dislike humans. They did terrible things to our ancestors. We also did some awful things to them in those days. But we are very much like them. If we look back many thousands of years, ningyo began as humans who offered themselves to the gods. They promised to spend their days keeping the balance of the sea in exchange for a longer life and access to magic."

Tooru turned to wink at Koushi. "Aw, we all have some human in us."

Koushi elbowed Tooru's side and grinned impishly. "I know which human you'd like to have in you."

Tooru laughed as he pressed his open palm against Koushi's face and smashed it around. "You're one to talk. Daichi will be lucky to have you."

Koushi pushed Tooru's hand away from his face as he spoke. "You know, I've spent so long looking at Daichi from a distance. But now that I can actually talk to him, I'm feeling kind of nervous."

"No one can resist you, my dear," Tooru said encouragingly; he moved his hand back to Koushi's face so that he could pat it gently. 

Satori turned to look at Koushi with a flat smile as he batted his eyelashes. "You could always alter his emotions to make him love you.”

“Is that not against the rules?” Wakatoshi asked in a sincere tone as he looked over at Koushi. 

It was Tooru who spoke up to answer. "Koushi can't induce love. I don't think he can influence physical attraction either."

Keiji nodded as his pupils glowed gold once again. "That's correct. The first members of the house of Sugawara agreed to that when they were given their ability to sense and alter emotions. Otherwise it would have brought wrath from the gods of matchmaking."

Koushi crossed his arms and gave a look of haughty disdain. "I don’t treat my magic lightly. Remember when Tooru and I got into that fight when we were twelve, and he didn't talk to me for a week because he was so mad at me? Not once did I try to calm him with my magic, even though I just wanted him to hurry up and get over being mad. Emotions should be accepted and given time to be felt whenever possible. I only ever influence them when I think it's really necessary or helpful."

Satori clicked his tongue and shook his head slightly. "I don't think it's necessary or helpful when you prank us and intensify our fear reactions."

"I'll have to agree with Tori on that," Tooru said with a pout. He had been the victim of too many of Koushi’s practical jokes, and it did often seem like Koushi magnified the surprise and fear that he felt.

Wakatoshi solemnly added his opinion. “You should also stop making your jokes seem funnier than they actually are.”

Koushi blinked innocently at them and gave an angelic smile. "It’s not my fault that you all scare so easily. And I can't help being funny, it’s part of who I am. A very loveable part, too. Your reactions to my jokes are always quite appropriate. The thought of increasing your amusement never crosses my mind."

"Let's take all that confidence and keep it ready for when you get to talk to Daichi," said Tooru as he rubbed his hands together excitedly. 

"Hold on, we never talked about the date you claimed to have," Koushi said as he sat up straighter in his chair and gave a pleasant little wink.

"Oh right, that,” Tooru replied with a wave of his hand. “Hajime asked me to meet him at the dock tomorrow morning,” he announced in a proud voice.

“That’s the date? Did he say it was a date or did you just assume?” Kenma asked dryly. 

Tooru rolled his eyes. “I don’t appreciate you giving me attitude, mister. He didn’t have to call it a date for me to know that’s what it is.”

“So you just assumed then,” Kenma deadpanned. 

“Let’s not over analyze it, okay?” Tooru said irritably as he tapped his fingers on the table. “Tori said that there shouldn't be any more storms the next couple days, meaning we shouldn’t be busy around here. So I might be gone all day tomorrow.”

"Are your predictions for the weather unchanged, Tori?" Keiji asked as he looked at Satori curiously. 

Satori gave a wide smile before putting his palms together in front of himself. He tapped his fingers to help himself concentrate, though his eyes seemed to become unfocused; they became dull as though he was zoned out. Soon after, the whole of both his wide eyes glowed completely purple. He stayed that way for a full minute, then sighed tiredly once his eyes finally cleared. "There are no storms coming this way, and I didn't feel any curses brewing. But that weather curse from yesterday was the worst one I’ve seen in a long time. We need to look into who caused it.”

Keiji nodded seriously. “I can make that my first task as an official member of the guild. And Kenma will help me, I’m sure.”

Kenma hummed in agreement.

“Perfect! It’s all sorted out then,” Tooru declared confidently.

Koushi looked envious as he glanced at Tooru with a sigh. "You should ask Hajime to send Daichi here to hang out with us. Or would that be weird?"

Kenma frowned and slumped forward; his bangs fell across his face, which successfully hid his eyes. "I don't really know if I want to be around a human. I've never seen one up close, and they make me kind of nervous."

“I am not partial to having one here, either,” Wakatoshi said as he automatically ran a hand through Satori’s hair in a way that could be described as petting. 

Satori had closed his eyes briefly at the gentle touch, then turned to grin at Wakatoshi. “You can hide upstairs if you don’t want to be sociable, darling. Or just turn into an animal. Then they won’t try to talk to you.”

“Maybe I can use the opportunity to change into a goose then,” Wakatoshi said dryly. 

“Personally, I’d like to meet Daichi and Hajime,” said Keiji. Then he looked thoughtful as he reached out to pat Kenma’s arm. "And it would be good for you to eventually meet them. It’ll make saving humans much easier for you if you can work through your fear of them."

"But what if I accidentally slip into camouflage in front of them? Will that trigger one of the treaty curses?" Kenma asked as he put his hands inside the big front pocket of his sweatshirt. 

Keiji’s pupils glowed gold as he read through the treaty in his mind. "There’s nothing in the treaty that specifically forbids using magic in front of humans. It does say that we cannot use magic directed at a human unless it's for the purpose of saving them. Though that becomes void if they’ve been freed from the restrictions of the treaty by being saved at sea. So it would be fine if they were to see it, aside from it making us have to explain ourselves.”

Kenma glanced at Koushi. “Did you want to tell them what we are right away?"

"I'm not sure yet. But maybe it's better to just get it out there. It could feel like we were hiding it otherwise," said Koushi as he played with a strand of his hair just behind one of his ears.

Tooru tapped his fingers against the table in a rhythmic way and hummed thoughtfully as he glanced at Koushi. "Well, we've been hiding from them this whole time and I’m tired of it. Maybe you should just go over to the cove and surprise Daichi while wearing the clothes he left here. It's a good technique.”

“I’m not going to show up uninvited while wearing his clothes,” Koushi said with a frown. "I'm not you."

"You're not usually this timid, Koushi-moshi! But I’m sure you’ll see Daichi soon. Especially if Tooru plans to see Hajime more often,” Satori said as he stood up and reached his hands over his head to stretch. "Let's do something fun today to celebrate that Kenma and Keiji are finally being allowed to live here."

"Can we play some video games upstairs?" Kenma asked hopefully. He found the games to be very entertaining since there was nothing like that under the sea where the ningyo lived.

"For someone who’s uncomfortable with the thought of meeting humans, you sure love their creations," Satori teased playfully. “But yeah, I’m cool with video games. Last one up the stairs has to make lunch!”

With that, Satori jumped up and hurried to climb the precarious looking planks that made up the stairs. They creaked terribly when walked on, but they were much safer than they seemed. No one had ever fallen down them and none of the planks had ever come loose. Soon, the rest of the group was rushing up the stairs as well.

Satori and the rest soon reached the second floor of the lighthouse. It was a wide open room with white walls that had a kitchen on one side and a living room set up on the other side. There was a huge fan installed in the middle of the ceiling to provide air circulation and cooling when the weather got a little too warm, which was rare. There was no cooling system inside of the lighthouse, nor was there a heating system; the ningyo didn’t get cold since they were used to living in the most frigid parts of the sea. 

The circular windows that sat at eye level and the wooden planks that made up the stairs spiraled around half of the room along the wall. The stairs went right above the TV, which sat on a short bookshelf that had a playstation set up within it. There was also a large collection of movies and shows on the bookshelf, since the lighthouse didn’t get good enough internet connection for streaming entertainment. There was a couch that sat across the middle of the wooden floor and stretched from one side of the room to the other with just enough space to walk past it on both ends; it had been a huge pain to get up the stairs when they first got it, but it was very comfortable. 

The other side of the room had an oven with a flat electric cooktop, a large refrigerator, and a small closet pantry. It also had counters with cabinets underneath which curved around part of the room along with the walls. There was a sink right in the middle of the counter space and a magnetic strip above it that held a variety of kitchen knives. But the ningyo at the lighthouse didn’t actually cook all that much. This was because a majority of what they ate was sashimi, or thinly sliced raw fish. They could stomach all the same foods that humans ate, but they were used to eating what was easily available deep beneath the sea. They only had human foods as a treat now and then. 

Wakatoshi settled onto the couch and was soon sat on by Satori. Just beside them, Kenma and Keiji sat next to each other. Meanwhile, Koushi moved to the kitchen to prepare lunch since he had been last to make it to the stairs. And Tooru was about to join his friends on the couch, but Satori’s voice interrupted him. 

“Would you mind putting the laundry up to dry? I washed a bunch of our clothes earlier.”

Tooru let out a sigh as he moved away from the couch. “I guess I can do that,” he said as he went to climb the stairs up to the third level of the lighthouse. 

The flooring on the third level was all tile. As Tooru stepped off the stairs and onto the third floor, he walked over to the washing machine. Beside it was a a counter for folding clothes on and a few laundry baskets. There was an enclosed room with a toilet, sink, shower and huge tub; the wall for that area was straight across the room, making it a semicircle bathroom. And half of it was just the bathtub, which could easily fit ten people inside. Two long clothes lines hung up from above the counters to the wall above the stairs, and there was a fan on the ceiling above them as well as some vents for moisture control. They kept the clothes line inside since it rained so frequently at the lighthouse. 

As far as the rest of the lighthouse went, the fourth floor was just a room filled with bunk beds. And the fifth floor was a service room that gave access to the gallery deck, which was a walkway around the outside of the lighthouse. The fifth floor also had a small spiral staircase in the middle of the room that led up to the lantern room.

Tooru quickly pulled the laundry out of the washer and hung it along one of the clotheslines. As he did so, he thought about what he should wear the next morning for his date with Hajime. Part of him wanted to show up naked just to see the look on Hajime’s face. But he figured that would be creepy the second time around, so he decided that he’d go with something that was both cute and comfortable. He hummed happily to himself as he finished hanging up the laundry and then went back down the stairs to join his friends in playing some video games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I drew a floorplan of the lighthouse for reference. Sorry if it's hard to understand it. I tried lol. Here is the here's the [link](https://spacejammie-eimmajecaps.tumblr.com/post/641254679514365952/redid-the-lighthouse-floor-plan-maybe-thats).


	7. Chapter 7

The next morning, Hajime woke up from a dream about sitting on the dock while watching his boat sink; it was a recurring dream for him, and it usually happened when he was nervous about something. As he blinked at his ceiling fan and came further into consciousness, he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be meeting Tooru. He sleepily glanced at the clock while rubbing his eyes and saw that it was just past 6am. He hadn’t actually specified what time he wanted Tooru to meet him at the dock, and now he was regretting that; he had no idea when he should go out there. But he decided that being too early was better than being late, so he hurried to get up and run through a quick shower. 

Afterwards, he went to get dressed. But he wasn’t sure what to wear for a date that wasn’t even supposed to be a date in the first place. He looked through all of the clothes in his closet and realized that he hadn’t even washed his own laundry yet, despite having managed to wash the ones that he had unintentionally borrowed from Tooru. So he was very limited in his options and ended up glaring at his closet as if that would make more clean clothes appear. Eventually, he got irritated with himself for fussing over his appearance; he picked out a tight long sleeve shirt and some jeans without letting himself think about it any further. Then he folded up Tooru’s clothes and started to put them inside a backpack so that he could bring them along and return them. When he looked at the teal alien heads on the boxers, he grinned slightly and shook his head while wondering what type of guy Tooru really was. So far, his impression was that Tooru was something of a space geek who was very bold and really good at swimming. And he also thought that Tooru was also extremely helpful even when he didn’t have to be; not many people would have gone out of their way to save someone, especially when it put them at risk.

Once he had Tooru’s outfit safely tucked away inside his backpack, he grabbed his phone off the charger and slipped it into one of his pockets. Then he went to the kitchen and tossed a couple water bottles and a few protein bars in on top of Tooru’s clothes as a snack for later on. He had considered offering to take Tooru to lunch since it was supposed to be a date. Because of that, he didn’t pack lunch for himself; there was a good chance that he’d be home by lunchtime if things went awkwardly with Tooru. That just left him with figuring out a quick breakfast for himself, but that was a fairly simple task; he and Daichi had ordered pizza the night before and had plenty of leftovers. They always ordered an extra pizza for the very purpose of having leftovers as an easy breakfast. 

Right as Hajime was taking a slice of cold pizza out of the fridge, Daichi sleepily stumbled into the kitchen. “Two week vacation starts today,” Daichi said in a groggy voice. Then he loudly yawned as he tried to say, “sweet freedom.”

Hajime grinned at Daichi and offered a slice of pizza, which Daichi gratefully accepted. “Do you have big plans for your first day of vacation?”

Daichi shrugged as he chewed on a bite of pizza, then cleared his throat as he leaned back against the kitchen counter. “I’m going to go over to the lighthouse to return those clothes I borrowed. I already got them washed and ready to go.”

“Nice. That’ll be exciting,” Hajime said through a full mouth as he worked on his pizza. “You going to ask Satori about the silver haired guy while you’re there?”

Daichi blushed slightly as he nodded and took a big bite of pizza. “Mhm.”

That didn’t surprise Hajime at all since he knew that the silver haired man was still very much on Daichi’s mind; over dinner the previous night, Daichi had mentioned him several times. They had come to the conclusion that the silver haired man was probably alive and well, since Tooru had been okay. And they also had decided that Satori must know a lot more about Tooru and the silver haired man than he had initially let on, considering the fact that Tooru kept clothes at the lighthouse. So Hajime had made a mental note to ask Tooru about it when they hung out, which he was actually looking forward to at that point. He couldn’t wait to find out what Tooru’s secret was for such skilled swimming. It must have been something simple and obvious that he had just failed to notice due to his state of mind during the storm. He had wondered if Tooru had secretly had one of those little hand held underwater propellers, and had just kept it out of sight somehow. 

As Hajime ate the rest of his cold pizza, he found himself humming one of the songs that his father used to sing while doing chores back when he was a young child. It was an one that came to Hajime’s mind at random times. His father had once told him that the whole crew would often sing traditional songs together to keep their spirits up during long voyages, and those songs were always catchy.

“You seem like you’re in a good mood today,” Daichi said as he studied Hajime’s face. “Are you excited to go see Tooru?”

Hajime went to wash his hands and wipe his mouth before he answered; now that he’d eaten, he was definitely feeling more energetic and ready to face the day. “Yeah, I’m kind of excited. And maybe I can get him to teach you how to swim since he’s so good at it,” he said in a teasing voice which was followed by a chuckle. 

Daichi rolled his eyes as he wiped some sauce off of the corner of his mouth with the back of his wrist. “Ha ha, very funny. Maybe I’ll work on my swimming over our little break from work.”

“Good idea,” Hajime said with a grin as he went to leave the kitchen with a spring in his step. “I’m going to take off now. Not sure when I’ll be home.”

“Don’t forget about our dinner plans,” Daichi called out as Hajime went to put his shoes on at the front door. 

Hajime turned around and gave a nod. “Oh yeah. I’ll be sure to get home before then. Later, man.”

As he made his way outside, he looked around and saw that it was another foggy morning. But he was glad about it because he really liked the fog. It felt spooky and mysterious and wonderful all at once. And it made him focus on only what was just in front of him, not anything else. That is, anything else he could see. His mind was going to wander around no matter what. 

Once he had locked his front door, Hajime went over to the garage that was just a short ways away from his house so that he could get some tools to fix his boat. He figured he would do that while he waited for Tooru, assuming that the man wasn’t there yet when he got to the dock. So he packed up some tools and then slung his toolbag over one shoulder. He sighed as he left the garage through the side door and locked it up after himself; he had a heavy load with both the backpack and toolbag. And he was still feeling sore thanks to his desperate swimming from a couple days earlier.

Not to mention that it had been a very long shift at work the day before; he and Daichi had ended up staying for almost twelve hours. That’s just how it went when working at a fish cannery. Some days were only five hours, and some days might last fourteen. It all depended on how much fish were brought in by the boats. That was one of the downsides of working at a fish cannery. Although there were plenty of downsides: the smell of it all, the ick factor, the long hours of standing. But it was all stuff that Hajime was used to after working there for a few years. 

As he made his way through town, he let his mind wander around a bit. He was slightly worried about how Tooru was expecting an actual date and not just a casual hang out. And there was definitely potential for their meetup to turn out unpleasantly awkward if they each had very different ideas about how it should go. He decided that if he could get his boat fixed up, he could offer to take Tooru for a ride in it to kill time before suggesting that they get lunch together. They could go around Crescent Moon Bay in the fog if it wasn’t too thick over the water. That seemed like a pretty decent idea, so Hajime grinned to himself as he hurried along towards the shoreline of the bay.

Once he made it to the dock, he saw that the fog was even thicker than it had been the previous morning; it was like looking at a piece of paper rather than the water vapor of a low cloud. He couldn’t even see very far down the dock as he stepped onto it and made his way over the creaking wood. After some quick consideration, he decided that a boat ride wouldn’t be the safest idea considering the low visibility across the water. He could practically hear Daichi’s voice in his head saying, _‘safety first.’_

It didn’t take very long for him to reach the spot where his boat was tied off, and Tooru was nowhere to be found yet. So he went to pull his boat up onto the wide dock and then propped the engine up so that he could work on it. The first thing he looked at was the battery, which seemed fine when he used his battery tester to check it. The second thing he decided to look at was the prop shaft. He removed the propeller to do so, and he was upset with what he found when he checked the shaft; there was a fair amount of fishing line wrapped around it which seemed like it had damaged the seal that led to the gearcase. It wouldn’t be good if water had made its way inside.

After a frustrated sigh, Hajime started to check his oil to see if any water had leaked into it. The oil came out milky, which indicated that water had indeed become mixed in. And there was the explanation for his engine troubles. It was going to be an expensive fix, though Hajime was willing to pay whatever was necessary. He intended to keep his boat for the rest of his life if possible; that’s how important it was to him.

Hajime wiped the oil off his hands with an old towel that he had brought along, then stood up and let out another frustrated sigh. “Damn it.”

The sound of barking made Hajime turn around, and that’s when he saw an olive brown colored dog that was walking along the dock beside Tooru. The dog wasn’t on a leash, but it seemed content to stay right beside Tooru regardless. And it was one of the biggest dogs he’d ever seen; it looked like some kind of mix between a newfoundland and a golden retriever.

“You seem like you’re hard at work,” said Tooru, who was smiling brightly after stopping just a few paces away from Hajime. He wore white capri pants and a pink and grey striped shirt that showed off one of his shoulders. The sleeves of the loose shirt went just past his elbows. The outfit was not very appropriate for the weather since it was a cold morning, though Hajime had to admit that it did look good despite being so impractical. He wondered if Tooru had worried about what to wear, like he had. 

There was another thing about Tooru’s outfit that didn’t seem to be a good match with the crisp morning air; he was barefoot. Hajime gave a crooked grin as he looked from Tooru’s feet up to his face. “Aren’t you cold?”

“I don’t get cold,” Tooru replied with a shrug. Meanwhile, the large dog padded over to sit between Hajime and Tooru in a way that almost seemed protective. 

Hajime glanced at the dog and then reached out to pet it. But it growled at him, so he pulled his hand back and cleared his throat. “Is this your pet?”

Tooru giggled at that, then squatted down to playfully ruffle the dogs fur around. “No, he’s not my pet. Just a good friend of mine. And he was rather insistent on coming along today, but he doesn’t really like humans.”

At first, Hajime thought that Tooru was making a joke. But it seemed like he was totally serious about the dog being his friend and not his pet. But that wasn’t so strange when it came down to it. Most people thought very highly of their pets, even to the point of calling them family. “Well I hope he isn’t going to attack me or anything. Does he bite?”

“Don’t worry, he promised to be respectful. Besides, he’d get cursed if he hurt you, so there’s really no risk to you at all!” Tooru said cheerfully. Then he nodded at the boat that was sitting on the deck. “Were you planning on us going for a boating date?”

Hajime blushed at how easily Tooru referred to their plans to hang out as a date while he glanced down at the dog. He wondered what Tooru had meant about the dog making a promise, and what the deal was with it supposedly getting cursed if it were to hurt him. That was hard to interpret as anything other than a joke, but Tooru had seemed totally serious about it.

After another moment of studying the dog, Hajime looked back up at Tooru to respond to the question. “The thought had crossed my mind, but the motor’s shot. It’s going to be a lot more work to fix it than I had hoped. I’m going to put the propeller back on before I set the boat down in the water, and then we can go do something else if you want.”

Tooru came closer and squatted down next to Hajime, who had started to do some routine maintenance on the prop shaft while he still had the propeller off. “That’s kind of a relief for me. Not that your boat is broken, of course. I just don’t actually like riding in boats that much. If I’m being honest, they make me a little nervous. It feels weird to go around on top of the water when I’m used to swimming below it.”

“You must be a pretty good swimmer considering how you managed to get through the stormy waters so easily,” Hajime commented as he worked to grease the prop shaft on the boat’s engine. He wasn’t sure how direct he should be with his questions about how Tooru had managed to pull off saving him. 

Meanwhile, the dog had moved to sit between them in a very decided way. It was almost comical how much it seemed like the dog didn’t want Tooru to be right beside Hajime.

Tooru chuckled as he went to pet the dog in a gentle way that seemed like it was meant to be reassuring. “I’m a very good swimmer. I’d be a sorry excuse for a ningyo otherwise,” he said casually as he wrapped one of his arms around his knees while he looked at Hajime. His other hand rested lightly on the dog's shoulders.

Hearing Tooru refer to himself as a ningyo made Hajime pause his movements. That word seemed familiar to him, as if he knew more about ningyo than he would have thought. After a quick mental search, he remembered that his grandmother had told him stories about ningyo when he was a child; he hadn’t thought of those stories in a very long time. He glanced at Tooru and tried to think of what to say in response.

At that moment, Tooru was looking right back at Hajime with an expression that appeared to be full of both calculation and worry. He seemed to be waiting to observe what Hajime’s reaction would be. And all the while, his dog was letting out a very quiet and steady growl. It was as if it was getting ready to bark if necessary. Not only that, but the dog was practically scowling at Hajime; at least, that’s what it felt like. 

After another few moments of silence from Hajime, Tooru spoke again in a calm voice. “Have you ever heard of ningyo before?”

Hajime cleared his throat as he turned his gaze to the propeller that he held; he went to put it on the prop shaft as he replied. “My grandmother used to tell me stories about ningyo when I was little.”

“Really? What descriptions were you given?” Tooru asked as he tilted his head and studied Hajime’s face. At the same time, he went to stroke the fur on the dog’s back, which made the animal stop its growling. “I hope it wasn’t anything bad.”

The fact that Tooru was claiming to be a ningyo had caught Hajime off guard. But at the same time, it made a lot of sense; it would explain how Tooru had been able to save him and swim through a storm so easily. And perhaps it meant that the silver haired man was a ningyo as well; that would be reassuring, because that meant that the man was alright just like he and Daichi had hoped.

After a long pause, Hajime finally spoke. “She said a lot of unusual stuff about… your kind. But I doubt that any of it was true. Or do you actually shape-shift and have magic?”

Tooru grinned impishly at that. “Well, I don’t _personally_ have the ability to shape-shift,” he said while giving his dog an affectionate scratch behind the ears. “But I do have magic.”

Without any warning, Tooru reached a hand towards the water on one side of the dock while he wrapped his other arm around his dog. His extended hand glowed a teal color as a stream of water shot up, went over the dock, and landed on the other side. 

Hajime had just finished putting the propeller back on when Tooru had started making the water bend to his will. He watched it flow over the dock with wide eyes, then glanced at Tooru with an astounded expression. “Your… how are you doing that?”

“I just told you. It’s magic,” Tooru said quietly. He made the stream of water wiggle like a snake before releasing it and dropping his hand back down. He then looked at Hajime with an almost shy expression, though he was giving a grin that was probably meant to be confident. His dog started with a low growl again at that point, so he hugged it closer to himself to calm it. “Are you afraid of me now, Hajime?”

Hajime went to stand up while wiping his hands on his messy towel. He considered the question as he looked at Tooru and knew that he didn’t feel scared of him. And he didn’t feel put off at all, which seemed to be what Tooru was actually worried about. However, the dog was definitely making him a bit nervous; he could swear that it was glaring at him, as much as a dog was able to glare.

“I’m not afraid of you. I’m a little… shocked? Confused? Something like that. But most of all, I’m just really curious.”

That answer seemed to please Tooru. “Great! I’m glad you took the news well. Koushi had been fretting about how you and Daichi would react, and I guess I was a little worried too.”

“Wait… how do you know Daichi’s name? And who’s Koushi?” Hajime asked as he went to put his backpack onto his shoulders while setting his toolbag in the boat. 

Tooru blushed intensely at that point as he moved to stand. The dog stood as well and stayed close to Tooru’s legs. “Uhm… I don’t want to freak you out or anything… but it’s probably better to be honest, right?”

“Uh… right?” Hajime said hesitantly as he reached down to begin pulling his boat towards the edge of the dock. He wondered why Tooru seemed so flustered all of the sudden. 

Tooru leaned down to grab the boat as well so that he could help Hajime pull it to the water. And the dog padded along next to him, never leaving his side. “Well... I’ve known who you and Daichi are for... a few years now. And I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a long time.”

Without being able to control it, Hajime felt himself blush at that information; he was both flattered and confused. As he and Tooru dragged the boat to the edge of the dock and set it down in the water, he thought about how to phrase the question that came to his mind. It seemed strange that Tooru would have waited so long to talk to him.

“Why didn’t you approach me sooner, then?”

Tooru let go of the boat once it was steadily floating in the water. Meanwhile, the dog went to sit between Tooru and Hajime’s legs, effectively separating them from getting any closer to each other as Tooru replied to Hajime's question. “Basically, a ningyo can’t talk to a human if they haven't been saved by one of our kind. But now that you and Daichi have been saved, me and my friends can finally talk to you both!”

“So we’re the first humans you’ve saved?” Hajime asked as he raised an eyebrow. Not being able to talk to humans until they had saved one seemed like a strange rule in his opinion, and he frowned slightly as he tried to make sense of it. And as he glanced down at the dog, he felt like he was being judged somehow; that dog had the most expressive eyes he’d ever seen in an animal, and he felt pretty sure that it didn’t like him at all. 

Tooru shook his head and absentmindedly went to lightly scratch the dog behind the ears; it’s head came right up to his waist since it was a very large animal. “No, me and my friends have saved other humans around here before. But saving one human doesn’t mean we get to talk to all of them.”

Hajime hummed as he rubbed the back of his neck; he felt like he was just getting more and more confused with each new piece of information Tooru shared with him. “That seems kind of unfair.”

“Oh, I think so too,” Tooru replied as he tossed his hair and moved a hand to rest on his hip. “And so do most ningyo. But there’s this whole treaty thing, and curses if we don’t follow it. Blah blah blah. It’s a complicated story. I’ll let my friend Keiji tell you about it sometime, he loves flaunting his endless knowledge.”

“Which of your friends saved Daichi? And is Satori a ningyo too?” Hajime asked as he put his hands in his pockets and tried to avoid looking at the dog anymore; he could swear that it understood everything that was being said and was harshly condemning the whole conversation.

“Yes, your friendly neighborhood lighthouse keeper is a ningyo,” said Tooru with a playful wink. Then he tilted his head and grinned mischievously. “And Koushi’s the one that saved Daichi. He’s really wanting to see him again. So we’ll have to arrange that sometime, won’t we?”

“We may not have to arrange it at all. Daichi was going to go over to the lighthouse this morning. And I assume that Satori can point him to where Koushi is,” Hajime replied. At that point, the dog stood up and started growling even more intensely than it had earlier. It was so vicious that Hajime ended up taking a step backwards out of pure instinct.

“You could always go back if you’re that worried,” Tooru said to the dog in a slightly irritated voice. Then he looked at Hajime with a concerned expression. “Uhm…. he’ll be alone, right? If a ningyo talks to a human that hasn't been saved, it’ll make their tongue burn badly.”

“He’ll be alone,” said Hajime as he frowned. “That’s really awful. No wonder you didn’t want to talk to me before.”

“Yeah, it’s a really huge inconvenience,” Tooru said as he swung his arms slightly at his sides.

Meanwhile, the dog hadn’t stopped growling and had turned its gaze towards the lighthouse, which was far across the bay and hidden from sight thanks to the fog. It then began to let out a quiet whimper. It was as if it wanted something and wasn’t sure if it was allowed to do it or not.

Tooru let out a sigh as he crouched down beside the dog. “Just go, Toshi. I’m fine. Can’t you see that Hajime is nice and trustworthy? He’s not going to hurt me. So go home already!”

After a moment of hesitation, the dog glowed purple and transformed into a man; a naked man. That change caught Hajime completely off guard, as he hadn’t actually thought that the dog was anything other than just a dog. But it seemed that Tooru had really meant it when he said the dog was his friend, and not his pet. And then he realized that this must be the shape-shifting kind of ningyo. 

Wakatoshi turned to Tooru and looked at him with a sincere expression. “I am going now. But scream loudly if you need me and I will come back right away.”

Tooru rolled his eyes playfully at that. “I think I’ll be fine. Go away now, please.”

Wakatoshi nodded, then he started to glow purple once again as he transformed into an eagle. Afterwards, he quickly flew off and disappeared into the fog while heading in the direction of the lighthouse. Hajime could hardly believe what he had just seen. It was both amazing and unsettling to see a dog become a human, or ningyo in this case, and then become an eagle. He doubted that he would ever see something more incredible than that.

“So… you're a ningyo, and so are your friends. And you have magic. And your friends have magic. And you’ve been wanting to talk to me for a long time. Am I getting all that right?” Hajime asked as he looked at the fog that had swallowed Wakatoshi up. He wondered if it was hard to fly through it without losing a sense of direction. 

“Yes, that’s right. And this is our first date! Since you don’t seem to have much planned, I’ll go ahead and take charge. I have an idea for something fun we can do, come on,” Tooru said as he reached for Hajime’s hand and excitedly pulled him along down the dock. Then he led him over towards the shoreline as if he was going to pull him right into the water. 

Hajime frowned as they neared the edge of the frigid water of the bay. “Uh, you may not get cold very easily, but I do.”

“Relax, I won't let you get wet,” Tooru said with a sly grin as he held a hand forward; it glowed teal as he parted the first several feet of water that touched the shore; it split all the way down to the bottom and stretched wide enough for Tooru and Hajime to walk through side by side. “Just trust me, okay?”

“Alright,” said Hajime with slight hesitancy as he stepped towards where the water was parted.

Tooru still had a tight grip on his hand, and gave it a squeeze at that moment. Then Hajime was pulled along to walk down the sandy bottom of the bay as Tooru kept the water parted with one glowing hand. When they got far enough down, Tooru let the water behind and above them come back together. It felt like they were walking along the seafloor while inside a bubble of air or an underwater snowglobe. It was a slightly cramped space at first, but then Tooru widened it to stretch a few feet away from them in each direction. It was a steep decline of jagged rocks and slippery sand at first, so they went slowly. And then they eventually came to a more even part of the ground. 

As they walked along further into the depths of the bay, Hajime looked around and could see fish swimming past his sides and over his head, as well as countless thick vines of kelp that rose up all over the place; it swayed around as if it was blowing in the wind, but it was just the underwater currents pushing and pulling it with ease. When looking up, it really felt like walking through a dense group of trees; streams of light filtered through the many blades of kelp that grew along the tall and vine-like structures. Those long vines of kelp went from the seabed until it almost reached the surface, which was at least fifty feet above them. 

Hajime had never realized just how much kelp was spread across the seabed of Crescent Moon Bay. It was like walking through an entire forest of the tall green plants, and they all cast dark shadows along the ground. Every now and again they would have to step around a tall vine of kelp that had ended up in the middle of the air bubble since the kelp plants were too dense to fully avoid. And the seabed itself was covered in patches of plants that Hajime couldn’t name, but they were all different shades of green and dark red. It was unlike any forest found on dry land. And in countless ways, it was absolutely magnificent. 

After a short time, they came to the end of the kelp forest. It seemed like it thinned out bit by bit until there was hardly any of it left. At that point, there was a lot more light around to see by. And the ground all around Hajime’s feet was thickly covered in seagrass and jagged rocks. There were crabs and lobsters frantically scuttling out from the seagrass where the water had been removed as if they were surprised at the sudden change in their environment. The seagrass in the water around Hajime and Tooru swayed in the current at about knee height, but the seagrass within their air bubble had fallen flat into clumped piles. There were now significant dips and rises in the seabed due to all the rocks across the underwater landscape, and the two of them stopped walking for a moment so that they could look around. 

Hajime put a hand out to feel the water that surrounded the air bubble; it was cold as it dripped from his fingers down to his elbow. He smiled at the sensation because it reminded him of brushing his hand over the top of the surface, but it was actually a wall of water instead. As he moved his fingers further past the wall of water so that his entire hand was surrounded by the sea, a whole smack of Nomura jellyfish came into view from above. It was the first time that he had ever observed them from an underwater perspective, though he did often see them in the fishing nets of the boats at the cannery. But seeing them in a net was vastly different from seeing them in their natural habitat; they were a sight to behold when the water kept them fully inflated. 

The Nomura jellyfish had huge mushroom-like tops that were an off white color. They had a light pink tentacle stump that looked like something of a skirt, which curled up and out at the bottom. The creatures could be compared to a plant that had been carefully pulled from the earth; it had thousands of stringy root-like tentacles that were a white color, and those were attached to the pink tentacle shaft that came down from the middle of the mushroom top. Those same stringy tentacles came out from around the bottom of mushroom top. And they were generously sized creatures; many of them were as big as Hajime himself, if not bigger. One of them got so close that it’s tentacles nearly brushed over Hajime’s fingers. It's body floated along past the side of the air bubble as if it was just going along with the current, and he was completely mesmerized by it. 

Tooru quickly reached over and pulled Hajime’s hand out of the water as he spoke. “Be careful, Hajime. If one of those were to sting you, it would be very painful. Human skin doesn’t have the necessary protection from it.” 

“Oh, right. Close one,” Hajime said as he watched all of the Nomura jellyfish float along aimlessly. It was the first time he’d ever seen a smack of jellyfish up close, and somewhere in the back of his mind he had known a sting from one of them would have been an unpleasant experience. He had just been too lost in the moment to realize it; he was glad that Tooru had been paying attention.

“There have been so many of those here lately. It’s irritating,” Tooru commented in a sour tone as he examined Hajime’s hand as though to confirm it was undamaged. Then he reached his glowing hand out and helped the currents along so that the jellyfish would float further and further away, until they were completely out of sight. 

“You know…. being down here is really unbelievable,” Hajime said as he looked away from the water and turned towards Tooru.

“In a good way?” Tooru asked as he grinned at Hajime. Right after he spoke, he reached his glowing hand out towards the water above their heads and made their little dome swirl around a few times; it caused bubbles to form and float upwards.

Hajime nodded and smiled at Tooru, then went to step over a pile of barnacle covered rocks that were on the seabed so that they could move on. “In a really good way. I never would have thought this was possible.”

Tooru seemed pleased with how happy he had made Hajime; he smiled in a way that clearly expressed his joy. After they both had climbed over the pile of rocks, he slowed his pace so that he and Hajime were walking side by side. Then he took the opportunity to look around himself. “I actually wasn’t sure if this would work. I’ve never tried it before!”

“You weren’t sure it was going to work, and yet you took me to the bottom of the sea?!” Hajime asked incredulously as he carefully hopped over a crack in the seabed that went far enough down for it to be dark and creepy inside. He then turned around to help Tooru get over it as well. “You do realize that I can’t breath underwater, right?”

“I’ll give you some air and pull you to the surface if anything goes wrong,” Tooru said calmly as jumped over the little underwater canyon and then squeezed Hajime’s hand. “You can count on me to keep you safe.”

Hajime wondered how exactly Tooru would give him air when they were both underwater, and then blushed when he realized that would probably mean some type of mouth to mouth contact. “You're pretty confident in yourself, aren’t you?” 

Tooru shrugged and gave a weak grin while he walked over some seagrass with his bare feet. Then he paused to squish around in it for a moment, which made several crabs scramble away from underneath their grassy cover. “There’s only been one time I failed to save a human. And I swore to myself that I’d never let that happen again.”

“Do you often go out and try to save people?” Hajime asked gently as he watched Tooru’s feet nudge around at the seagrass. He could tell that the subject was a delicate one and he didn’t want to press too hard for information.

After a brief pause, Tooru replied in a soft voice. “It’s my job to save humans. And the house of Oikawa is well known for being good at saving your kind. So not only was it awful to see someone die in front of me, but I had to face the shame of not living up to the expectations of my family.”

“I’m sorry that you have to carry that weight. It must be really hard,” Hajime said gently as he glanced at Tooru’s mouth, which was twisted into a quivering frown.

After a minute of silence, Tooru stopped squishing in the seagrass and went to walk on while dragging his feet along the wet sand of the seabed; he seemed to like feeling the different textures that were available to him. Then he looked out towards the water that surrounded their bodies and reached a hand out to poke at a fish that was swimming by, which startled it and made it swim off quickly. 

“I dream about that man’s face almost every night,” Tooru said in a tight voice.

Hajime could see that Tooru was feeling really upset at that moment, so he did the first thing that came to mind; he pulled Tooru into a hug. “I know it’s not the same, but I’ve lost people that I care about. So I know what it’s like to have someone live on in your mind even after they're gone.”

Tooru returned the hug eagerly, and so the two of them embraced. It was silent aside from the sound of a crab that scuttled across the sand near their feet. All the while, fish swam by the large air bubble that was securely holding its shape. And Hajime decided that he wouldn’t let go until Tooru seemed ready for him to do so. He knew that grief needed to be given plenty of time to be felt when it finally came up from where it was usually hidden away. And he also knew that it happened at times that were not convenient; he had experienced plenty of moments where a memory of his dad or grandparents had completely stopped him in his tracks. 

When Tooru finally pulled back from the hug, it had been several minutes. He gave an awkward little laugh as he sniffled; he’d been shedding a few quiet tears during the embrace. “Wow, I’m sorry. I’ve totally ruined the mood of our date.”

With a small grin and a shrug, Hajime went to gently scratch up and down Tooru’s back in a comforting manner. “Nah, it’s fine. I appreciate that you felt like you could tell me about that.”

“You’re really sweet, Hajime,” Tooru said with a soft expression as he reached for Hajime’s hand once again; his other hand still glowed teal, and seemed like it must do so for the entire time that he was using his magic. “Come on, let’s keep going. I haven’t explored the bottom of the bay in a long time. Maybe we’ll find some treasure.”

Hajime chuckled at that as he glanced around at the rocks and seagrass that covered the ground. He couldn’t see as far out as he’d like to, and that was due to the overcast day; the fog was blocking out the rays of sunlight that would usually light up the water. “I’d love some treasure right about now, it would help pay for my boat repairs. But it’s kind of hard to see very far around us. I wish we had a powerful flashlight or something.”

“Hm? I can see just fine,” Tooru said as he looked out around the water that was rather dark to Hajime’s eyes. 

“Lucky you. Must be a ningyo thing,” Hajime said playfully as he swung his and Tooru’s interlaced fingers between their bodies. He was surprised at how quickly he was adjusting to the fact that Tooru was a ningyo. And he was also surprised at how comfortable he was around Tooru; their date wasn’t turning out awkward at all, like he had worried about it being. It felt like he was hanging out with someone he was already familiar with. Daichi was the only other person he’d ever felt such ease around right away; he and Daichi had clicked from the moment that they first met way back when they were just children.

All of the sudden, a school of fish surrounded the air bubble and swam around it. There must have been hundreds of fish, and they all moved together as if they were coordinating a circular dance. It was like being inside of a tornado that was made of little swimming fish. Hajime looked up at them in wonder as he squinted to try to see through the darkness; the fish had completely blocked out the light except for bits here and there that made it through the spaces between them.

To compensate for the lack of sunlight, Tooru lit up both of his hands and held them over his head so that his teal light illuminated the fish above the air bubble. It seemed like the glow was brighter than any of the other times Hajime had seen it so far; it was effective in making the fish more visible. And it also resulted in the fish scales reflecting the teal light back at Tooru, which made his face look even more bright and beautiful than it had just a moment before. Hajime found himself looking back and forth between Tooru’s face and the fish swimming around them; he wanted to memorize the moment and hold onto it. And that moment lasted for several minutes as the fish swam round and round, as if curious. Then they finally swam off to another location while all moving at once. It was like watching birds flocking across the sky, except the sky was water in this case. 

After watching the fish swim away, Tooru giggled and dropped his hands back down to his sides. The glow moved back to just one of his hands and he reached for Hajime’s hand with the other. “That was pretty neat, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was beautiful,” Hajime said as he looked at Tooru’s joyful expression. 

Tooru glanced over at Hajime, and they ended up staring at each other silently. After a few seconds, Tooru turned his gaze forward and started walking again as a blush dusted his cheeks. When he came up to a lobster trap that was sitting on the seafloor, he gingerly jumped over it while tugging Hajime along behind him. “Careful of the traps that humans set.”

“Seems like we’re too big to get stuck in there,” Hajime replied with a playful grin as he stepped over the lobster trap.

There was a brief silence before Tooru turned and gave Hajime an unreadable expression. Then he spoke in a quiet voice, and it was as if he wasn’t really talking to Hajime as much as he was talking to himself. “Humans set all kinds of traps.” 

Hajime tilted his head and frowned as he walked along beside Tooru. “I’m not going to trap you or anything, you know.”

“I wasn’t worried that you would,” Tooru replied in that same quiet voice. Then he looked out at the sea surrounding them and took a deep breath, which seemed to snap him out of whatever had been on his mind. When he glanced back at Hajime, he gave a goofy grin. “But I wouldn’t mind being captured by you.”

Hajime hummed thoughtfully as he stepped through a squelchy pile of seagrass. “Are you saying you want me to take you home with me or something?”

“Maybe I am,” Tooru said with a giggle as he reached down to pick up a fish that had fallen into the air bubble. He then tossed it back through the wall of water beside him and watched it swim away. “I think it would be fun to see where you live. I’ve never been inside a human’s house before.”

“Maybe we could have dinner together at my house soon. And you could invite your friend Koushi. I know that Daichi would be happy to have dinner with him, and it could be like….” Hajime trailed off because he didn’t want to presume that it would be a date. 

But Tooru seemed happy to call it one; he reached out and squeezed Hajime’s hand as he spoke. “A double date? That’s a great idea! Can we do that tonight?”

“Ah, I have some friends coming into town tonight, actually,” Hajime said as he suddenly remembered about his expected guests. “And I guess you and Koushi couldn’t come if they’re over since you guys can’t just talk to any human.”

As Tooru slid his bare feet through a patch of seagrass, he glanced over at Hajime. “How long are they staying for? Maybe we could do it tomorrow night.”

“They’re actually staying with me all summer, if not longer,” replied Hajime as he carefully stepped over a rock covered with pale colored anemones. “But maybe I can sneak you over when my friends are out doing something else. Just so you can see what my house is like or whatever.”

“Okay, that sounds fun. We’d be sneaking around as if we were teenagers or something,” Tooru said with a giggle as he let go of Hajime’s hand and widened the air bubble. Then he climbed up a pile of rocks that were covered with sea stars. “But I kind of hope that your friends need to be saved at some point. I’m sure they’ll want to meet your future boyfriend.”

“Future boyfriend?” Hajime asked as he looked up at Tooru, who was now mischievously smiling down at him from on top of the rock pile. He could feel himself blushing as he went to climb up after Tooru.

Meanwhile, Tooru seemed to be happy that he had made Hajime blush. In fact, he seemed to want to take it a step further. “Well, I guess we could say that we’re boyfriends already. But I thought you might want to do a few dates before we took on any official titles. What’s the custom for you humans as far as that goes?”

Hajime bit at his lower lip as he formed a response in his mind. He hadn’t even been expecting a date in the first place, let alone a boyfriend. And he was no expert on dating; his only experience with it was the few awkward dates he’d had with some girls in high school. Finally, he replied with a simple, “I’m not really experienced when it comes to dating.”

Tooru hummed as he reached down to brush his fingers over a sea star. “Well that’s okay, neither am I. We can figure it out together.” 

Hajime grinned slightly as he and Tooru made their way to the otherside of the rock pile while being careful not to step on any of the sea stars. “I think I’d like that.”

“Cool,” Tooru said happily as he gently nudged his elbow against Hajime’s arm. “I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time together.”

“Me too,” Hajime replied as he felt his ears warm up.

He certainly wouldn’t have guessed that he’d be having a date, let alone getting a boyfriend, if anyone had asked him about it a few days earlier. It made him think about how his grandfather had often claimed that romance liked to sneak up on people when they were least expecting it; that’s how Hajime’s grandparents had wound up together, and the two of them had lived happily together for over sixty years. 

As they continued to walk along the seafloor, Hajime looked out around himself. They were going through a passage that led through the rocky wall that blocked the underwater part of the mouth of Crescent Moon Bay; it gave them access to the open sea beyond it. Once through the underwater tunnel, he could see some larger fish swimming around overhead. There were also some sea otters that were swimming around playfully. And there were many crabs scuttling around on the rock littered sand within the large air bubble that Tooru was maintaining; it was amusing to watch them frantically scatter when the air bubble moved over them.

Overall, Hajime felt like he could stay down at the bottom of the sea all day. He had always wanted to explore underneath the water, and this was even better than diving would have been. This was probably the best first date that anyone had ever had; Hajime felt very lucky to be experiencing it. 

“Let’s go further out and see if we can get you a good view of some whales or dolphins,” Tooru said as he pulled Hajime towards the open sea. 

Hajime glanced at Tooru and grinned as he let himself be pulled along. “Alright. Lead the way.”

  
  
  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Satori, Koushi, and Keiji were outside near the lighthouse. The three of them were sitting on top of some wide rocks at the edge of the jagged cliff that led to the beach below. They were watching the waves push and pull from the sea onto the shoreline, which was barely visible through the fog that stretched beyond the mouth of the bay. The sky was overcast, and it made the temperature even cooler than it would have been otherwise. But that was how they liked it. 

Tooru had left for his date an hour earlier and would have just been making it to the dock. They had all wished him luck along with varying levels of teasing. But Wakatoshi had insisted on going with Tooru as a way to make sure that Hajime didn’t do anything cruel or tricky. At first, Tooru had flatly refused to allow it. But Wakatoshi kept asking over the entirety of the previous evening. Tooru had reluctantly agreed; his condition was that Wakatoshi would go as a dog so as not to make it feel like the date was being chaperoned. 

As for Kenma, he ended up staying awake most of the night playing video games as he often had in the past when visiting the lighthouse. So he was still asleep in the fourth floor bedroom. But he and Keiji had planned to start their investigation on the curse storm from a couple days earlier. Most of the curse storms in the area were caused by arguments between some sea gods that lived in the water far beyond the shore; that was the reason for the quick changing weather around Crescent Moon Bay. But those storms were more mild than the one Hajime and Daichi had been caught up in. If a storm was strong enough to concern Satori, then it was necessary to look into why it had happened. And that meant paying a visit to those quarrelsome sea gods. They might know something about it, assuming it was not them who caused it.

There was a strong breeze coming in from the sea, but Koushi was comfortable in just the thin clothes that he had chosen for that day. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a thin green tank top that barely hid the faint orange glow coming from his heart; his chest always had an orange glow because his magic was constantly working to help him read the emotions of those around him. And Koushi’s feet were as bare as they usually were. All of his friends had bare feet as well. Most ningyo found shoes to be particularly unpleasant and constricting; they avoided wearing them unless absolutely necessary.

Satori was the only one who wore shoes regularly. This was because he was in charge of going into town for supplies, though was always careful not to speak to or touch any humans while there so as not to activate a treaty curse. He always wore his wide brimmed hat, elbow high gloves and dark sunglasses when going to shop in town; but all of that just added fuel to the rumors that he was a strange recluse. 

"What time are you hoping to head out?" Koushi asked as he glanced at Keji, who sat beside him at the cliff's edge.

Keiji sighed as his eyes followed some seagulls that were flying overhead. "I’d like to leave whenever Kenma wakes up, though I’d hoped to be out there already.”

“You should’ve known that he’d binge video games all night after not having the chance to play any this past year," Satori said as he leaned forward to peek over the edge of the cliff. He was watching some seagulls land in their nests within small nooks along the cliffside. He was dressed in a maroon colored long sleeve shirt that was too big for him; it belonged to Wakatoshi, who was much bulkier than he was. The sleeves went past his wrists where they bunched up around his hands, and he wore tight grey leggings underneath. Leggings were his favorite type of pants because he liked to be able to move freely even when dressed. He was sitting with his legs dangling over the cliffside and was wiggling his feet around in circles as he spoke again. “I’m not going to be the one to wake Kenma up. I don’t want to get kicked in the face.”

Keiji was wearing just boxers since he hadn’t planned on getting fully dressed that day. He and Kenma would have to travel underwater to make it to the home of the sea gods and clothes only hindered their swimming. His pupils flashed gold as he weighed the options of waking Kenma up or letting him sleep. “If I get him up before he’s ready, he’ll be grumpy and probably won’t be able to deal with the intensity of the gods. So I’ll just wake him at about noon. That way we can leave after lunch," he said decidedly.

“Maybe Tooru will be back before then and we can find out how his date went,” said Koushi as he grabbed a handful of pebbles and started tossing them towards the shore down below. He was attempting to throw them far enough to reach the waves. When he felt a rush of emotion from Satori, he glanced over at him. “What’s on your mind, Tori? I’m sensing some impatience from you.”

"You’ve been waiting for years to have the chance to talk to Daichi without risking your tongue getting burned. Are you going to go see him today? I’m dying to find out whether or not you two actually click,” Satori said with a flat grin while his fingers tapped at his knees in a rhythmic way, as if he were typing on a keyboard.

The salty breeze was blowing Koushi's silver hair around as he hummed thoughtfully. He leaned his head back and inhaled deeply before he replied. "Maybe I really should show up at his house without an invitation. I mean, it would be fun to surprise him,” he said as he laid back on the large rock and put his hands under his head. He then crossed his ankles where his feet dangled over the cliffside and voiced his thoughts out loud. “I’m still nervous about talking to him. Which is kind of funny because I already know so much about him from what I’ve overheard these past few years.”

Keiji looked over at Koushi with a blank expression; it was as though he were pointlessly making an effort to hide his feelings from his emotion reading friend. "It's nice that you finally got to save Daichi, and that you’ll get the opportunity to see him and talk to him now."

"You just sent off some serious longing and remorse. Do you want to talk about what's bothering you?" Koushi asked as he looked over at Keiji with a curious expression. 

Keiji's pupils flashed gold for a moment. He seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of disclosing what was on his mind. It was about five seconds before he responded in a very calm and composed voice; he usually tried to come off that way no matter how he was feeling. "I have a story to share with you two. It happened four years ago when Kenma and I first came to visit. There was a man that I saw from a distance when I was out swimming by myself. He was at the tide pools. And it seemed like he really cared about both the animals and the sea around him. I found him intriguing, so I went to the tide pools a lot after I first saw him there. I’d go when you guys were occupied with other things and Kenma was busy with video games. The man went to the tide pools almost every day."

“I’m already intrigued,” Satori said as he gave a catlike grin. “Do go on.”

Keiji's pupils glowed steady gold as he recalled the memories from back then. "One day, when Koushi and Tooru were off checking on Hajime and Daichi, something happened. Kenma was sleeping in at that time, much like today. And Tori was out shopping. So I was watching over the sea by myself from where we’re all sitting right now. That’s when I saw a small boat. There were two men in it, and neither of them were wearing life jackets. I kept a close eye on them because of that. But also because one of the men was the man from the tide pools, and I’ll admit that I had a small crush on him."

Koushi hummed knowingly at that, but didn’t say anything. He could feel that the crush wasn’t just a small one. And he knew that Keiji was well aware that any efforts to downplay feelings were a waste, since reading emotions was as automatic as breathing for him.

Keiji paused and seemed to be carefully considering his words. ".... The two men were really close, and I wondered if they were together. I could hear their happy laughter all the way from here. But at one point, the man that I had a crush on stood up and seemed to be distressed. He ended up falling into the water, and his friend jumped in after him. I didn't even think about what I was doing as I rushed to climb down the cliffside. I've never moved so quickly before.”

Koushi and Satori were listening closely to Keiji as he shared the story. Satori looked as amused as someone who was watching a good drama on TV. Meanwhile, Koushi was picking up on the feelings Keiji was experiencing as he relived the situation; jealousy and worry were the strongest ones at that moment. 

"The man that I… that I liked was deep in the water when I got to him. He was flailing around while continuing to sink. Meanwhile, the other man was still close to the surface. So I swam down to the man that I liked and I gave him some air because he was about to inhale water. Then I pulled him up towards the surface. I pushed his companion towards the boat once I reached him. When me and the man I liked had made it to the surface, I suddenly felt really nervous. I could finally talk to him after a few weeks of only being able to watch him. But he would have been the first human I ever talked to, and I thought he might find me strange."

“Did you end up saying anything at all?” Koushi asked as he continued to read Keiji’s emotions; there was a lot of regret, as well as frustration. 

“I didn’t speak a single word to him,” Keiji said softly, and his disappointment was coming through in his tone. But then he cleared his throat and went on in a voice that was once again calm. “So I swam away, and I didn't see him at the tide pools after that. I don't know if he moved away or was just afraid of the water after what happened. But I've regretted not talking to him when I had the chance.” 

Koushi was aware of everything that Keiji was feeling, from the sadness to the frustration, and it was almost like feeling those emotions as if they were his own. That was one of the hardest parts of having his ability; he was always experiencing what those around him were going through. "Thank you for telling us, Keiji."

Satori clicked his tongue playfully as he reached over to ruffle Keiji’s hair. "So Koushi and Tooru weren’t the only ones who were lovestruck this whole time, huh?”

Keiji blushed ever so slightly as he swatted Satori’s hand away from his hair. Then he spoke in an even voice as he attempted to come off as indifferent, though he didn’t quite succeed. “It was just a passing crush.”

“That’s not what your feelings are saying,” said Koushi with a mischievous grin as he read Keiji’s lingering attraction. “You know, the tide pools are just up the shore from where Hajime and Daichi live. We could ask them if they know who it was that you saw, and where he is now."

Keiji shook his head and turned to look at the sea. “That’s not necessary. It’s been so long now, and I was never expecting anything to come from it.”

Satori nudged Keiji’s arm with his elbow. “I think you should seek out this mystery man. Think of how great it would be if so many from our guild got together with humans! I bet that our elders and even the gods would take notice. And then who knows what would happen! We’d either be praised or ostracized, and I do love taking a gamble.”

Just then, and to everyone’s surprise, Kenma came out of the lighthouse while yawning. He walked over to where the others were sitting and nodded at them as he huddled down into his baggy sweatshirt. He liked sweatshirts, but not because of how warm they were; he just liked how he could hide his hands in the big pocket and hide his body within the loose fabric of it. As he glanced at the group, it was almost certain that he could tell they’d just been talking about something interesting. And Koushi could sense amusement coming from him as he studied Keiji’s face silently.

Satori turned to look at Kenma and grinned playfully. “Wow, look! It's our sleeping beauty! We didn’t think you’d be up at such a reasonable time.”

“I know Keiji wanted to get an early start,” said Kenma right before he yawned again.

Satori glanced at Keiji while he spoke. “Does Kenma already know about your little secret?”

Keiji didn’t have time to answer because Kenma had quickly figured out what was being talked about. “Of course I know about the time he saved his crush. Keiji tells me everything.”

Satori pouted at that as he slung one of his arms over Keiji’s shoulders. “Aw, I’m four years late to finding out this unbelievable story, and yet Kenma already knows all about it? I’m devastated!”

Keiji just shrugged as his hands moved together so that he could play his fingers, which he did out of habit. “He actually figured it out without me having to tell him. It’s almost impossible to hide things from him since he knows me so well.”

Koushi chuckled darkly and then winked at Kenma. “You’re so good at reading people’s body language, and I’m great at reading emotions. We could be unstoppable at messing with people if we worked together.”

“Don’t rope Kenma into your frivolous activities,” Keiji said bluntly. He then stood up and stretched his arms over his head while looking at Kenma. “Have you eaten yet? You’re up much sooner than I thought you’d be, and I’d like to get going as soon as you’re ready.”

Kenma nodded in response. “Yeah, I had a quick bite already. We can go whenever.”

The sudden scream of an eagle made everyone turn towards the bay. They witnessed Wakatoshi in his eagle form as he flew out of the thick fog. Satori hummed curiously as he stood up and put both his hands behind his head. He watched Wakatoshi come closer and closer with an amused grin on his lips. “I’m surprised he’s back already. I wonder if that means the date was cut short. Oh no, maybe it was awkward. You’ll have to console him for weeks if he got rejected,” he said as he glanced at Koushi.

Meanwhile, Koushi was squinting up at the sky while reading Wakatoshi’s emotional state. “He’s giving off some seriously concerned vibes… I wonder what happened.”

“I’d say he's worried about someone that’s here at the lighthouse,” Kenma said as he watched Wakatoshi, who had almost reached the cliffside. “He wouldn’t have left Tooru alone if he felt it wasn’t relatively safe to do so, considering how insistent he was last night when asking to go along.”

“We’re sure to find out what’s troubling him in just a moment,” Keiji said calmly as Wakatoshi circled around over the group and then landed on the ground near the cliffside.

After glowing purple and transforming from an eagle back into a ningyo, Wakatoshi looked around suspiciously as though searching for someone. “Is that human here?”

“Which human were you expecting to be here, darling?” Satori asked as he went to wrap Wakatoshi’s naked body up in a hug. 

Wakatoshi put his arms around Satori in a protective way as he replied. “Hajime said that Daichi was going to come here this morning.”

“Oh? Well that’s exciting news!” Satori said from within Wakatoshi’s tight embrace. He leaned his head back so that he could peek at Koushi. “Isn’t that convenient? You don’t have to go all the way to his house now!”

Koushi found himself standing up as a blush spread across his face. “Daichi’s coming here? Did Hajime say why he’s coming?”

“It seemed like he was wanting to find you,” Wakatoshi replied as he finally let go of Satori, which allowed Satori to bound over to Koushi like an excited puppy and jump on him. 

“Do you want us to stay with you while he’s here or do you want to get him _alone_?” Satori asked as he stepped back and shook Koushi’s shoulders. 

Koushi didn’t answer. He was trying to process how he was feeling about the sudden development while also dealing with all the fluctuations of the emotions in those around him. Wakatoshi’s protectiveness was loud, and Satori’s excitement was even louder. And Keiji seemed to be very curious; he loved learning about everything possible, and meeting Daichi would be an excellent opportunity for him to ask questions about humans that only a human could answer. 

Meanwhile, Kenma was frightened at the idea of a human coming over and had acted in premeditation to hide himself. He turned on his camouflage which made his body glow red before disappearing from sight, leaving only his baggy red hoodie and cargo shorts visible.

Keiji glanced at the spot where Kenma was standing and raised an eyebrow. “I take it that you’d like to be gone before he gets here?”

“Yes, let's get going,” Kenma replied as he peeled off his clothes and threw them at Satori, who caught them automatically. After doing so, it was nearly impossible to see Kenma at all. 

Keiji went to slip off his boxers and also threw them at Satori. Then he nodded at Koushi with a small grin. “I hope it goes well with Daichi. And I’d like to be able to meet him next time he’s here,” he said as he turned to walk towards the cliffside so that he could climb down to the sea.

“Later guys. Good luck, Koushi,” Kenma mumbled as went to follow Keiji down the cliffside, though no one could see him as he did so. 

Satori watched Keiji disappear over the side of the cliff as he adjusted his hold on the clothes he had been given. Then he turned to Koushi. “Well? Do you want us to stay out here while you wait for him to get here? I’d love to see his face when he catches sight of you for the first time since the storm. But I’m willing to watch from the window if you’d prefer a one on one meeting.”

Koushi was having a hard time finding words at the moment. He hadn’t been prepared to talk to Daichi just yet; he didn’t feel like he had adequate time to prepare himself for socializing with his long term crush. When Satori reached out to pinch his cheek and shake his face around a bit, he finally snapped out of it so that he could respond.

“Uhm… you guys can just let us hang out alone. It’ll be kind of fun to just be out here waiting for him by myself, you know?”

“Are you going to strip like Tooru did when he first talked to Hajime? Because that would be hilarious,” Satori said with an impish grin. 

“I guess we’ll have to see how the conversation goes,” said Koushi in a playfully tone, though he really had no intention of doing any stripping. He wanted to make a good first impression, and he knew enough about Daichi to guess what type of interaction was going to go over well. His crush seemed like the type to value honesty and sincerity. “Toshi, did Hajime mention what time Daichi was coming?”

Wakatoshi shook his head as he reached out to wrap an arm over Satori’s shoulders. “He did not. If you insist on being alone with him, remember that we will be nearby if you need us.”

Satori gave his cat-like grin, then shuffled the clothes in his hands to one arm so that he could wrap his other around Wakatoshi’s waist. “Why does it seem like you trust Koushi to be alone with a human more than you trusted Tooru?”

“Koushi can read emotions, so he will know if Daichi has evil intentions. But Tooru is too trusting and naive. He would not realize he was in danger until it was too late,” Wakatoshi replied matter-of-factly. 

Satori laughed loudly at that. “Well, don’t tell Tooru about your reasoning. I think it would insult him.”

“But I already did. I told him that he trusted humans too easily when we were leaving this morning,” Wakatoshi replied. 

Suddenly, Koushi could sense a strong feeling of nervousness, and it wasn’t from Wakatoshi or Satori. He looked out past the lighthouse to where the path was and could just make out the image of Daichi a long ways off. “There he is,” he said in a voice that was almost a whisper. 

Satori let go of Wakatoshi’s waist and went to walk towards the lighthouse. “We’ll get out of your way, Koushi-moshi. But maybe bring him inside at some point so I can watch you two interact. I’m great at guessing whether a relationship will last or not once I see two people interact!”

After a moment of silently staring at Koushi, Wakatoshi turned to follow Satori. But then he paused and gave Koushi a serious look from over his shoulder. “If you feel anything suspicious from him, hurry into the lighthouse.”

“You don’t have to worry so much,” Koushi said as he tried to feel more confident about officially meeting Daichi. “I can feel your stress, and it’s making _me_ feel stressed. So just chill out,” he said as he sent a wave of relaxation at Wakatoshi, who had already gone to follow Satori towards the lighthouse door.

Wakatoshi’s emotions then significantly mellowed out from Koushi’s magic. Meanwhile, Satori was giving off strongly amused vibes; those feelings showed clearly on his face as he turned to wink at Koushi before stepping inside the lighthouse.

Once Wakatoshi and Satori were inside, Koushi started to think about whether he should walk out to meet Daichi, or if he should sit back down and wait. His stomach was twisting up with nerves as Daichi got closer, and he frowned at the fact that he couldn’t use his magic to make himself calm. Unfortunately, it didn’t work in that way; he couldn’t use his magic on himself, only on others. He ended up going over to sit back down on the wide rock that was on the cliffside, then turned his body so that he faced the direction that Daichi was approaching from. He closed his eyes and focused on sensing what Daichi was feeling.

There was a lot of nervousness and curiosity, as well as hope. After a moment, Koushi let out a small sigh as he wished that he could read thoughts as well as emotions. Only being able to understand what someone else was feeling didn’t give a complete picture, and he wanted to know what Daichi was hopeful about, as well as what he was nervous about. 

Daichi was close enough to be able to see Koushi within a couple minutes. He had a paper bag in one hand which had part of Koushi’s orange sleeved sweatshirt sticking out. But he stopped in his tracks when his gaze landed on Koushi. In that moment, Koushi could sense surprise, relief, attraction, and even more nervousness than before. Knowing that Daichi found him so attractive made him smile, and he felt his ego starting to build as he got up and walked over to where Daichi stood. He tried not to let Daichi’s nervousness fuel his own nerves any further.

“Hi. I'm Koushi,” he said once he was within earshot.

Daichi appeared to be struck speechless, and Koushi could sense that he was overwhelmed with everything he was feeling. It was actually quite endearing. After an awkwardly long pause, Daichi cleared his throat and then spoke in a slightly strained voice. “Uhm, hi. I’m Daichi.”

“You don’t have to be nervous, Daichi. I’m not as ferocious as I look,” Koushi said as he grinned playfully and ran a hand through his silver hair to fluff it around. He was all too pleased that Daichi was so flustered just from being around him; it was certainly fanning the flames of his self confidence. 

Daichi’s gaze moved between Koushi’s face and the lighthouse. “I, uh… brought back some clothes that I borrowed from Satori a couple days ago.”

Koushi glanced down at the bag and saw the orange sleeve of his sweatshirt. “Those are actually my clothes.”

“Oh… I’m sorry for taking your clothes,” said Daichi. And just like that, he was somehow even more flustered than he had just been. 

Koushi could feel Daichi’s embarrassment and uncertainty radiating out strongly, and those feelings were trying to rub off on him. Secondhand embarrassment was a particularly unpleasant experience for him. So he sent a generous amount of confidence to Daichi as he reached for the bag. That way, he wouldn’t get caught up in the man’s emotions. “It’s okay, I don’t mind. And I’m sure you're very curious about how I helped save you during the storm.”

Daichi handed over the bag as he studied Koushi’s face. He was still blushing, but at least the confidence from Koushi had made a positive effect. His voice was calmer than it had just been when he replied. “I’d been worried that you might have died out there. But when Hajime saw Tooru alive and well, we figured you two must have some kind of trick that helped you through the water.”

Koushi walked the bag over to the lighthouse door, which was just a few feet away, and then set it down on the doorstep. Then he nodded towards the wide rock at the cliffside. “Let’s go sit down together and I’ll tell you about all my little tricks.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Daichi went to follow Koushi to the cliffside, and Koushi could tell that he was growing tense again. It was actually quite amusing; Koushi had never sensed Daichi feeling so nervous in all the years he’d been eavesdropping on him from underneath Hajime’s boat. But what wasn’t amusing was that Daichi’s increasing nervousness was starting to settle over Koushi and rekindle his own nerves. So he sent another wave of confidence at Daichi and tried to ignore his own lingering uncertainty. 

Once they were seated next to each other, Koushi turned to give Daichi a reassuring smile. “Do you want to ask me some questions? You can feel free to ask anything.”

Daichi glanced at Koushi briefly before looking out towards the sea. The fog was thinning and the view was was beautiful, though Daichi probably wasn’t able to appreciate it at that moment. He let his legs dangle over the edge of the cliffside as he started to speak. “Uhm… how did you survive swimming through that storm?”

“I can breath underwater,” Koushi replied in as casual a voice as he could muster, even though he was feeling pretty worried about how Daichi might react to him being a ningyo. But he was ready to get it off his chest, and he figured it would be best to get it over with right away. Just like ripping off a bandaid. Plus, he was banking on Daichi appreciating his transparency. 

Daichi had turned to stare at Koushi with raised eyebrows. “How can you breathe underwater?”

“I’m a ningyo,” Koushi said as he paid close attention to how Daichi’s feelings were fluctuating. There was now an equal amount of curiosity as there was nervousness. And there was no disgust or fear, which was a great relief.

“A ningyo? You mean like in the stories told to children?”

Koushi chuckled at that. “Probably not exactly like those stories, though I’m not actually familiar with them.”

“Do you have… magic, and stuff like that?” Daichi asked with a shy grin. He looked back out at the sea and started fiddling with the buttons on the pockets of his jacket; he was now giving off more curiosity than nervousness, and it was mixed with a fair bit of excitement.

“Something like that,” Koushi said as he smiled at Daichi’s sudden change in emotions. “My magic isn’t one that’s easy to see unless I’m not wearing a shirt. And even then, it’s not showy.”

“What kind of magic do you have then?” Daichi asked as he peeked at Koushi and glanced down at his shirt as if it held some great mystery.

Koushi had never been more thankful for the ability to read emotions; this whole situation would have been much more stressful for him if he didn’t know how Daichi was reacting. But he did worry that Daichi would feel put off by the fact that his emotions were being read. However, he didn’t want to hide it, so he went to pull off his shirt. And he was sure that Satori was watching the whole interaction from the window and finding great amusement in the fact that he had ended up taking some clothes off after all.

“I can sense emotions and alter them when necessary. My chest gives off this orange glow all the time because I’m constantly reading the feelings that others are experiencing,” he said while pointing to his heart.

There was a long silence as Daichi stared at Koushi’s chest where the faint orange glow was located, and then he began blushing once again. “Can you sense… when someone's attracted to someone else?”

“Yes,” said Koushi as he held back the laugh that tried to bubble out because of how flustered Daichi had once again become; though he could feel himself blushing as much as Daichi was when he spoke. “And yes, I know you’re attracted to me.”

Daichi became silent again as his emotions fluctuated towards embarrassment and insecurity, and Koushi read them all as they came. He couldn’t actually help being able to read what others were feeling; otherwise he’d have made an effort to give Daichi some privacy at that moment. It was the reason that those in the house of Sugawara were notoriously aware of what was going on around them at any given moment. They knew when a fight was going to break out before it happened, and they knew when people fell in love or became heartbroken. It was actually not a very pleasant magic to have most of the time; it came with a lot of stress. Members of the house of Sugawara regularly had to take breaks from being around others just so that they could be alone with their own emotions and free from the influence of others. 

“I’m sorry for intruding on your private feelings,” Koushi said after a while. “It’s something that happens automatically. But if it makes you feel any better… I’m attracted to you, too.”

Daichi finally turned to look at Koushi; he started radiating hope and happiness, which was only slightly overshadowing his lingering embarrassment. “Really?”

“Yeah. I have been for a long time. Years, actually,” Koushi said as he began to squirm slightly from the weight of admitting his feelings out loud; he was hoping that Daichi would feel more comfortable if he knew that the attraction was mutual. Though he wondered about how Daichi was going to react to him mentioning that it had been years on his part. So far, Daichi was remaining hopeful and happy, and his embarrassment was fading down to a dull roar. 

“Years….” said Daichi as he glanced back at the sea and furrowed his brows. After a moment, he looked back at Koushi. “You’ve known who I am for years? Did you go to my high school?”

“No, I didn’t,” Koushi said as he shook his head, though he grinned at the idea of having gone to high school with Daichi. He had actually wished he’d been born a human on a few different occasions just so that he and Daichi would have had the opportunity to know each other under easier circumstances. “I moved here five years ago, and so did Tooru. But we were both done with school at that point. We happened upon you and Hajime while you were doing swimming lessons in the cove by Hajime’s house. We found you really interesting, and we’ve kept an eye on you since then.”

“Those swimming lessons were the worst,” said Daichi with a chuckle. Then he paused thoughtfully before he spoke again. “Was there a reason you didn’t talk to me back then?”

“There was a reason,” Koushi said with a sigh.

He then explained about the treaty that ningyo were bound to follow. He ended up giving many more details than he had intended; by the time he was done talking, he had given Daichi a complete history of ningyo from the time of the treaty until the present day. He also told Daichi about his and Tooru’s childhood together, as well as the years they had spent at the lighthouse so far. And he even told Daichi about the eavesdropping from under the boat, though he didn’t let it slip that he was the reason for Daichi’s fishing success. 

Daichi had listened with great interest all the while. He gave nods and hums of acknowledgement at regular intervals, and asked clarifying questions as needed. When Koushi finally fell silent after the avalanche of information, Daichi blushed as he spoke. “That’s a lot to take in. But overall, I’m really flattered that you would even want anything to do with me.”

“Why do you say that?” Koushi asked as he tilted his head curiously. 

“Because it sounds like you and your kind have had to put up with a lot. I mean, you’re bound to follow a treaty that we humans don’t even know about anymore, and it sounds like it's pretty unfair to you,” Daichi replied as he leaned back to rest on his hands while dangling his legs over the edge of the cliffside. “And you made it seem like a relationship between us would be frowned on by your family. I don’t know if I’m worth the trouble for you since I’m just a regular human guy.”

Koushi felt a stab of worry in his stomach. “Are you rejecting me?”

“No, not at all,” Daichi said as he glanced at Koushi shyly. “What I meant to say is that I want to be worth the trouble. Or maybe that I’ll try my best to be worth it.”

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Koushi said as he went to nudge one of his bare feet against Daichi’s shoe. “You really are the responsible type, aren’t you?”

“That’s what Hajime’s always saying,” Daichi said as he chuckled; Koushi could tell that he was finally starting to feel more at ease, which was ironic since so much information had just been shared that should have made him freak out.

“I feel like I’ve monopolized the conversation. Tell me about you,” Koushi said with a warm smile as he looked at Daichi.

“Ah, what do you want to know?” Daichi said as he shrugged his jacket off. The clouds had cleared a bit and the sun was shining down on them gently, so he was warm enough without the extra layer.

“Everything,” Koushi said as he went to slip his shirt back on, which he had been holding on his lap that whole time. The sun had been lightly reflecting off of his smooth skin as if he had fish scales, as it did for all ningyo. But being in direct sunlight for too long would make his skin feel dry and itchy; he was made for living underwater, after all. 

Daichi rolled up his jacket and offered it to Koushi as a pillow, which was gladly accepted. Then he thought for a moment before he spoke.

“Let’s see..... I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve known Hajime since I was a kid. We grew up near each other and my mom was friends with his grandparents. They used to babysit me and my siblings, so that’s how Hajime and I met. Uhm… I got decent grades in school and never got into any fights, though I broke up a few between Hajime and some jerks once or twice. He went through a lot when we were in high school which made his grades suffer, and some people teased him about it. Uh... I’ve never dated anyone seriously.... I work at a fish cannery, and I’ll be getting a promotion soon,” Daichi said as he went to lay on his side so that he could face Koushi. He rested his elbow on the rock and leaned his cheek against the palm of his hand. “That’s all I can think of.”

“That’s a short story compared to the one I told you,” Koushi teased as he adjusted his head on Daichi’s jacket, which made a nice makeshift pillow. 

Daichi grinned. “Well I can’t narrow down my whole life that easily. Is there anything specific you want to know about me?”

“Hmmm, I actually know quite a bit about you. Thanks to the eavesdropping,” Koushi said playfully.

Daichi chuckled. “Ah, yes. The eavesdropping.”

“You’re being surprisingly cool about that,” Koushi said as he glanced at Daichi. “Why is it that you’re so much more calm now that I’ve told you so many strange things?”

Daichi shrugged one shoulder and then rolled onto his back, using his hands as a cushion for his head. “I guess it’s because I thought you were this angelic being when I first saw you out in the water. I thought there was no way you were in my league, and I wasn’t even sure if I’d see you again. But now I know you’re just a dorky stalker who has a crush on me.”

“Just a dorky stalker? No more _‘angelic being’_ vibes, huh?” Koushi said while giving Daichi a playful pout. 

“Angelic dorky stalker,” Daichi said with a teasing grin. “You know, Hajime’s grandmother used to tell us stories about ningyo when we were kids. And we both loved those stories. I used to imagine that I was a ningyo before I’d go to sleep at night because I thought it would be the coolest thing ever.”

“So... basically... I’m the coolest thing ever to you?” Koushi asked as his lips curled into a wide smile; he could sense the fondness Daichi felt when recalling those memories.

Daichi blushed a bit as he responded. “You’re kind of like a dream come true, I guess.”

“I think you might be the dorky one between the two of us,” Koushi said with a wink, which made both him and Daichi laugh.

Just then, the door of the lighthouse opened and Satori stepped outside. He rushed over to the rock where Koushi and Daichi were sitting and squatted down behind them while reaching out to ruffle Koushi’s hair. “You two have been out here for hours.”

Daichi pulled his phone out to check the time. “Wow, it’s already past one. I think it was about eight when I got here.”

“Time goes by quick when you’re in good company,” Satori said with a grin that made the skin around his eyes crinkle. “I made lunch, do you two want some?”

At the mention of lunch, Koushi’s stomach growled loudly. Giving something of a confession followed by the entire history of one’s life was a draining business; it really worked up an appetite. As he stood up, he held a hand towards Daichi. “Come on. I’ll show you around the lighthouse really quick and then we can have some food.”

Daichi took Koushi’s hand as he stood. “That would be great. I’m pretty hungry.”

Koushi kept hold of Daichi’s hand and pulled him along to follow Satori, who was practically skipping as he led the way back to the lighthouse. But when they all went inside, Daichi almost jumped back out the door when he saw an actual tiger walking around the room.

“Uh, that’s a bold choice for a pet.”

Satori turned around with a spin and gave a flat smile. “Don’t mind Toshi, he’s just being unsociable. I’ll bring the food down from upstairs so that we can eat at the table together!”

As Satori went up the stairs, Wakatoshi followed close at his heels. But he paused to look at Daichi with a gaze that could only be described as sharp and unwelcoming, at least as far as tiger expressions went. Then he resumed walking up the creaky boards that made up the stairs.

Koushi could feel Daichi’s fear as he spoke, as well as hear it in his voice. “I don’t know what makes me more nervous... that tiger or those stairs.” 

“Don’t worry, that’s just my friend Toshi. He’s a ningyo who can transform into animals,” Koushi said as he squeezed Daichi’s hand and used a bit of magic to calm him. Then he gestured around the room. “This is where we hang out a lot of the time. And sometimes we eat here, but we usually eat upstairs on the couch where it’s more comfy.” 

“You said you’ve lived here since you were fifteen, right?” Daichi asked as he looked around the room, focusing particularly on the bookshelves that were filled with all kinds of interesting things.

Koushi nodded. "Yeah, we start our jobs once we're fifteen usually. So that’s when I first came here with Tooru. And Tori came here a year earlier than that since he’s older than us. Then Toshi joined our guild just last year, but he's the oldest out of all of us."

“Fifteen seems so young to be starting out and leaving home. I bet you really missed your family at first,” Daichi said as he glanced at Koushi.

“Yes, it was a big adjustment. Especially because we raise our young in a community centered way. So I have a mom and dad, but I was raised by the entire house of Sugawara. And there are currently over one hundred of us within that lineage, with many aunts, uncles and cousins. I’d stay over with relatives half the time, and I was also over at Tooru’s place pretty often. So it never felt like having just one home, which I think made it harder to leave. I went from being surrounded by a whole community to what can feel like isolation in comparison.”

“Goodness me, I didn’t realize I was such terrible company,” Satori said as he came down the stairs with a large pot in his hands. He gave Koushi a wink as he passed by and went to set the food on the table. Wakatoshi was still in tiger form and followed right behind him.

Koushi grinned playfully as he teased Satori. “Yes, you’re awful. I don’t know how I’ve put up with you for so many years.”

Wakatoshi went to brush up against Satori’s legs while letting out a loud purr, and Koushi could feel that he was trying to show his appreciation and affection to counteract the teasing. He was very protective of Satori and tended to take jokes too seriously. 

After grinning at Koushi in an amused way, Satori reached down to scratch Wakatoshi’s fur on the top of his head. “At least someone around here appreciates me.”

“You know that I love you,” Koushi said as he started leading Daichi towards the stairs. “I wouldn’t have stayed friends with you for so many years or come to live at your lighthouse otherwise.”

“Mhm, I’m sure,” Satori said as he took the lid off the pot and peeked inside of it. “Hurry up with your little tour or the food’s going to get cold. And bring some bowls when you come back down.”

Daichi grimaced as he was led to the precarious stairway. “Uh, these sure seem like they could break without much effort,” he said as he stepped onto the creaky two by four of wood that made up the first step. 

“They’re more or less safe,” Koushi said with a grin as he pulled Daichi along.

He gave Daichi a tour of the entire lighthouse, and then they went back down stairs to join Satori and Wakatoshi for lunch. By then, Wakatoshi had transformed back into a nigyo and was sitting at the table with a broody look on his face. As the four of them sat and ate the meal that Satori had prepared, which was a hearty soup, there was little to no conversation at first.

Wakatoshi ate while staring at Daichi with an air of suspicion. Koushi could tell that Daichi was well aware that he was being watched, and that he was trying to ignore the heavy gaze. He made a mental note to try and talk Wakatoshi into being a bit more hospitable in the future. 

In the seat beside Wakatoshi, Satori was squatting on his chair so that he could rest one arm on his knees as he ate. And he was also staring at Daichi, but it was in an amused and curious manner. His gaze moved between Koushi and Daichi at regular intervals as his eyes shone playfully. Koushi could feel Satori giving his approval of their budding relationship, and it made him blush.

Eventually, Daichi cleared his throat to speak. “Hey, Satori?”

“Mhm?” Satori leaned his elbows between his knees so he could put them on the table. Then he rested his chin on his hands as he stared at Daichi expectantly. 

“Your mom used to live here with you, right?”

Satori grinned flatly as he tilted his head. “That’s right. I moved here when I was fifteen and learned about running the lighthouse from her for a few years.”

Wakatoshi was giving Daichi a stoney look, and Koushi could feel his protectiveness flaring up. “Why do you ask?” 

“Well, Hajime and I had been wondering what ever happened to her. We used to see her around the outside of the lighthouse during storms when we were kids. And we saw her when we boated past when we got older, but we haven’t seen her for a long time. Is she okay?”

Satori hummed thoughtfully and waited a moment before he responded. “She’s fine. Better than fine, actually. She just got to move along to her golden age after an incident with getting tangled up in a fishing trap. I mean, she’d been running this lighthouse for nearly a hundred years, so she was ready to be done with it after that happened.”

“A hundred years? She didn’t look a day over forty,” Daichi said as he glanced at Koushi as if to confirm whether that was real information or just a joke. 

“We ningyo live for a very long time,” Koushi replied as he read Daichi’s confusion. “Longer than humans.”

Satori chimed back in and he spun his chair around to sit on it backwards. “We spend just about one hundred years doing our chosen job. After that, we spend the rest of our lives doing whatever we want, which we call our golden age. Then we turn into seafoam when we die at the ripe old age of two hundred and fifty, give or take a decade.”

“Do you not age once you’re adults?” Daichi asked.

Koushi was the one who answered. “We do age after reaching adulthood, but it’s only noticeable during the last fifty years of our lives.”

“I see,” Daichi responded quietly. 

Koushi could feel worry and disappointment settle over Daichi, so he reached out to pinch the man’s cheek. “What’s got you down?”

“Well… if we were to start dating… and we stayed together for a long time... I’d age way faster than you, and it would probably be weird for you,” Daichi said. He was giving off waves of insecurity and doubt as he continued. “I mean, I’ve probably got another seventy years if I’m lucky. But you still have more than two hundred years.”

Satori was the one who spoke up at that point, and he was giving Daichi a mysterious smile. “There’s ways around being separated early, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it if I were you.”

Just then, the door of the lighthouse opened. Tooru and Hajime walked in and then froze as they took in the scene in front of them. Hajime’s expression matched his feeling of surprise and friendly acknowledgement. And Koushi could feel irritation and jealousy coming from Tooru. 

“You’re having a double date without us? How rude," Tooru said. 

“I would not call it a double date,” Wakatoshi replied dryly.

Tooru sighed as he glanced at the big pot on the table; he always got grumpy when he was hungry. “Is there more food?”

Satori nodded as he grinned cheerfully. “There’s lots of food. I’ll run and grab a couple extra bowls,” he said as he spung out of his chair and ran up the stairs two steps at a time.

“I see you found Koushi,” Hajime said as he nodded at Daichi.

Daichi gave off some uncertainty; he probably wasn’t sure if he could disclose what he had learned. “Yeah. Did Tooru tell you about… anything interesting?”

Hajime grinned. “He did tell me about some things. Did you learn anything interesting?” 

Daichi nodded, and then Satori broke into a fit of giggles as he made it back down the stairs with the extra bowls. “Great, so you both know about ningyo. What fun! Now we can all hang out and get friendly with each other.”

Wakatoshi glanced from Hajime to Daichi with a serious expression. “Were you told about what your kind has done?”

Koushi was the one who responded. “I did tell Daichi about the treaty, and the reason for it.”

Tooru tossed his hair. “I didn’t get into all that. It’s not a fun topic and I didn’t want to spoil the mood of our date.”

“I want to know whatever Daichi got to hear about,” Hajime said as he glanced at Tooru and crossed his arms. 

“I’m too tired from using my magic all morning,” Tooru replied as he went over to one of the chairs while pulling Hajime along behind him. He then sat Hajime down and got them both some of the soup. “Where’s Keiji? He should tell the story.”

“He and Kenma are still trying to figure out why that storm curse was so strong,” said Koushi. “I’m not sure when they’ll be back.”

“I wonder how it’s going,” Satori said as he tapped his fingers on the table. “It's their first time talking to those finicky sea gods.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I added this to a previous chapter. But once again, here is the here's the [link](https://spacejammie-eimmajecaps.tumblr.com/post/641254679514365952/redid-the-lighthouse-floor-plan-maybe-thats) to the lighthouse floor plan/Hajime’s house floor plan.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. The treaty was 1000 years ago. If you read a different number, that was before I fixed it.
> 
> 2\. There are a ton of characters in this chapter that are not in the tags. Surprise!

There were eight factions of sea gods: Fukurodani, Shiratorizawa, Nekoma, Inarizaki, Aoba Johsai, Dateko, Kamomedai, and Karasuno. Skyway had a shrine for each of them; the humans paid their respect and prayed regularly to ask for luck when fishing, as they had for the past thousand years or longer. Skyway was a very old town. 

The gods that Keiji and Kenma were going to visit were the Karasuno gods, though they were sometimes called the Murderous Crow Gods; this was originally because their name meant crow, their official shrine animal was the crow, and a murder was the name for a gathering of crows. However, that nickname only helped to shape their reputation as devious and bloodthirsty gods. Of all the different factions of sea gods, Karasuno was the most mysterious and feared one. They were rumored to be ill tempered because they sent storms out frequently, more so than any other faction of gods. 

Keiji had never met a god in person before, though he did have memories of his ancestors interacting with a couple of gods named Washio and Konoha. The ones that his ancestors had met were from Fukurodani; that faction was the one that gifted the house of Akaashi their magic back when the first ningyo were created. Each faction of gods gifted several different houses a type of magic, as there were many ningyo families. The Nekoma gods had gifted magic to the house of Kozume, and the Shiratorizawa gods were the ones who gave magic to the house of Ushijima and the house of Tendou. The Aoba Johsai gods had gifted magic to the house of Oikawa, and the Karasuno gods were the ones who gave magic to the house of Sugawara. 

But Koushi had never gone to visit the Karasuno gods, nor had Tooru visited the Aoba Johsai gods, nor did any of the others visit with the gods that had gifted magic to their family; most ningyo didn’t have reason to interact with the gods directly. While there was communication between the gods and the ningyo, there was also an unspoken rule between them that required them to avoid close ties.

Since none of Keiji’s ancestors had ever met with the Karasuno gods, he would get to be the first in the house of Akaashi to learn about them. This was a great honor; bringing new knowledge to the memories that would be passed on to the next generation was one of the main goals of all those who were part of the house of Akaashi. While Keiji was feeling a little apprehensive about meeting with gods for the first time, he was also quite excited. It would be his first significant contribution of information. 

It was Satori who usually went to the Karasuno gods when necessary to convene with them directly, since he was the Light Keeper for the guild. But the redhead had refused to give any details about the Karasuno gods when giving directions on how to get to them. So without information from Satori, and without memories from his ancestors, it was going to be a very unpredictable experience for Keiji. But if truth be told, he actually preferred that. He wanted to gain his own knowledge without relying on his inherited memories. 

The memories of his ancestors were not as clear and vivid as his own memories. It was like watching a party from outside a window; he could see what was going on, but he was not really a part of it. To further complicate things, some of the memories that were inherited from his ancestors were missing visual or sound components. This meant that he had received some memories where he could see someone talking without hearing what they were saying, or hear someone’s voice in his mind without any other context. However, his own memories were always crystal clear and fully complete. It was an oddly flawed magic, though no one from the house of Akaashi disclosed these inconsistencies to anyone outside of their lineage. It was a carefully guarded secret because they felt that those flaws would tarnish the reputation of their well respected family. But Keiji had a sneaking suspicion that Kenma had figured it out at some point thanks to how much time they spent together, even though his friend had never said anything about it. 

Overall, Keiji wanted to learn as much as he could in his lifetime, both to contribute to the knowledge bank that would be passed to future generations as well as to enrich and expand his own mental library. And he was thankful for the opportunity to be the first member of the house of Akaashi to meet with the Karasuno gods. He intended to ask them as many questions as he could politely manage so that he could build a nice profile on them and their history. 

The Karasuno gods lived in a tall mountain that abruptly came up out of the ocean. That mountain was relatively close to Skyway, though it wasn’t ever visited by humans; it was said to bring a curse if humans were to set foot on it, though that was only a rumor spread by fishermen who had seen the mountain from afar. It only took Keiji and Kenma about an hour to reach the base of the mountain below the water where there was an underwater cave that would lead up into the dwelling of the gods. All of the base of the mountain that was above water was made up of cliffs; there were no shores that could be accessed. And the mountain was surrounded by jagged rocks in such a way that ships would have a hard time approaching it. That was another part of why they were rumored to be ill tempered; not even their home was inviting. 

Kenma had been quiet for most of the swim. But that was not uncommon because he tended to get lost in thought, and that was especially true when he was tired. So Keiji silently led the way to the entrance of the underwater cave. But they moved slowly when they reached the mouth of the cave because it was pitch black inside and they hadn’t thought to bring a light source. Normally, ningyo can see very well underwater even during the nighttime. The sun or moon, even when hidden by the thickest of clouds, was enough light to go by. But if there was absolutely no light source, such as in the cave they were now facing, then they would no longer be able to see. 

However, Kenma solved that problem by making his body maintain a red glow; to do so, he lingered in his camouflage just enough to activate his magic, but not enough to complete the transformation. So he was constantly shifting back and forth between visible and invisible as he swam into the entrance of the cave. His magical red glow was more than enough to illuminate the way.

“You’re always so creative with your solutions,” Keiji said as he followed Kenma inside the cave. As to be expected, ningyo could naturally speak and hear while underwater. 

Kenma shrugged one shoulder as he glanced around the wide cave that was completely empty; there were no fish or other animals in sight. “I won’t be able to keep this up for long since I didn’t sleep much last night. Did Tori mention how long this cave goes on for?”

Keiji’s pupils flashed gold as he recalled Satori’s instructions for how to get to where they were going. “He said it would only take ten minutes to reach the well that leads into the dwelling of the gods. And he said there was sure to be someone who would greet us.”

“What kind of someone?”

“Probably an attendant of the gods,” Keiji replied. “Tori wasn’t very informative.”

“It makes me uneasy that he was so amused about us going here,” Kenma said as he swam along. “You know how much he loves putting people in weird situations for entertainment. And you know what they say about the Karasuno gods… that their _murderous crows_.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Keiji said as he looked around at the walls of the cave; they were made of jagged stone that seemed very plain and ordinary. “Tori has come to see these gods multiple times, and he’s never been hurt.”

“I suppose,” Kenma said as he reached a wall that blocked them from moving straight forward any longer. The tunnel now went upwards, so he started swimming that way. After a moment he was able to see some light coming from far above. At that point, he stopped flickering his camouflage and remained visible. 

Keiji gave Kenma a small nod. “You have my permission to go into camouflage and avoid talking if you feel too awkward.”

“I don’t need your permission for that,” Kenma said dryly. 

Keiji grinned at Kenma’s reply. He knew that Kenma hated being lorded over or bossed around, and he hadn’t meant to come off that way. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just meant that I wouldn’t mind if you were to do that.”

“Duly noted,” Kenma replied as he continued to swim up along the tunnel. 

It was growing brighter and brighter as each minute passed. And the walls were no longer just plain rock and mud; they had reached a part of the tunnel that was surrounded by black stones which were well polished and placed intentionally. After that, it truly felt like swimming up through a well instead of a cave. 

There were carvings of crows painted with golden orange in each of the polished rocks. Keiji studied them as he slowly swam upwards and noted how carefully they had been made. He knew that many crows lived at the Karasuno shrine back in Skyway, and that was actually one reason that Karasuno had a dark reputation even among humans; crows were fierce scavengers, and it was thought that seeing a crow was a bad omen associated with death and war. But Keiji rather liked crows; they were intelligent creatures that were capable of very interesting behavior. He actually appreciated all types of birds, though owls were probably his favorite; he liked that they were associated with being wise, and that they were the animal of the gods that had given him and his family members their magic.

Within another few minutes, Keiji and Kenma reached the surface of the water filled tunnel. Keiji looked around curiously as he climbed out, and found himself in the middle of a large square room built with the same black polished stones that the well was made of; not only the walls, but the floors as well. And there were just as many carvings of crows in the stones that made up the room as there had been down in the well. Every single stone had a carving of a crow that was painted with golden orange. And there was no ceiling above the room, so looking up gave a lovely view of the sky.

In the middle of one wall, there was a wide passageway that led out of the room. And there were a couple of crows perching along the top of that wall. But the creatures started flying off through the passageway and cawing loudly when they saw Keiji and Kenma climb out of the well. 

Keiji watched the crows flying off and then hummed softly. “I wonder if those are the someones that Tori mentioned would be greeting us.”

“I’d say it’s more likely that they’re what summons whoever is supposed to be greeting us,” Kenma replied. 

And it turned out that Kenma was right, because the crows soon returned while flying above two women. One of them had black hair flowing down past her shoulders, and she wore an orange robe that was long sleeved, floor length and loose fitting. The fabric of it seemed stiff and held its shape easily. The other woman had chin length blonde hair; she also wore an orange robe that matched the style of the one her companion was wearing. And each of the women held a folded up orange robe in hand as they walked up to Kenma and Keiji.

“Welcome to our home. I’m Shimizu, goddess of crows,” the black haired woman said as she offered the robe she held towards Keiji. Then she nodded at her blonde companion, who was holding the other extra robe towards Kenma. “And this is Yachi, goddess of dawn.”

Keiji knew that gods and goddesses usually had a prefered way they wanted their guests to dress, so he was quick to slip the robe on and tie it around himself. It was much softer than he had expected it to be considering how stiff it looked, and the bottom of it bunched up around his bare feet as though it had been made for someone taller. But it was obviously a very well made garment and he was more than willing to follow whatever customs were required. So far, Shimizu was kinder and more welcoming than he had been expecting. That made him hope that she would be willing to share information about herself and the other Karasuno gods; his mind was already bubbling with countless questions. 

He gave a polite bow towards Shimizu as he spoke. “I’m Keiji of the house of Akaashi. And this in Kenma of the house of Kozume.”

“What brings you two here?” Shimizu asked as she studied Keiji’s face. “We don’t often get visitors.”

“We’re both part of Satori’s guild,” Keiji replied as he stood up straight and met Shimizu’s gaze. “We’ve only just recently joined it. And we came to ask some questions, if we may.”

“I see,” said Shimizu as she glanced between Kenma and Keiji. Kenma had donned his rob and bowed politely as well, though he didn’t speak. And Yachi also remained quiet as she stayed close to Shimizu’s side. “As a member of the house of Akaashi, you must be a knowledge seeker. Your magic is intriguing to me. I knew one of your ancestors, though that was nearly two thousand years ago.”

That information made Keiji frown slightly. He had no memories of knowing Shimizu, as he should if one of his ancestors had met with her in the past. But his memory magic was far from perfect, and he didn’t want to doubt a goddess on her claims. “I hope my ancestor made a good impression on you.”

“She did. I cared deeply for her,” Shimizu said with a soft smile. Then she looked at Kenma as she spoke again. “I’ve not met someone with your magic before, at least not since the Nekoma gods first gave it to the house of Kozume. And that was such a long time ago.”

Kenma tilted his head as he looked at Shimizu. “I forgot how old you all actually are.”

Thankfully, Shimizu didn’t look offended by Kenma’s statement. But Keiji cleared his throat and decided that he’d better get to the question he was supposed to ask before Kenma said something that might get them sent away. “We actually came to ask about a curse storm that hit Skyway a couple of days ago. It was much stronger than normal, and we wondered if we’ve done something to bring on your disfavor.”

Shimizu brought a hand up to her hair and ran her fingers through it while she hummed thoughtfully. “I did not order any to be sent. But I’ll take you to my fellow gods so we can ask them if they know of it,” she said as she turned to lead them out of the room, followed closely by Yachi. “Please come this way, Keiji and Kenma.”

Keiji went to follow behind Shimizu and Yachi. Meanwhile, Kenma walked along beside him silently and seemed like he was feeling more tired than he was curious; he put a hand out to hold onto the edge of Keiji’s robe while he let out a long yawn.

Shimizu led them down a long hallway that was made of the same black stones as the well and previous room. And there were golden orange paintings of crows flying along the walls that were even more detailed and beautiful than any of the ones they’d seen so far. The ceiling was open and gave a view of the sky above; it seemed like there were no roofs at all in the dwelling of the Karasuno gods. Along one side of the hallway, the wall only went up to knee height. Beyond it was a view of a deep valley that was located inside the mountain itself. The dwelling of the gods was sitting on a flat patch of land at the edge of the valley, and there were high cliffs all around the valley that made up the top of the mountain without blocking the sky. 

Before long, they made it to an opening in the tall side of the wall that led into a vast courtyard. The outer edge of the courtyard was surrounded by a u-shaped pond, and in the pond lived many koi fish. There was a very old tree in the middle of the courtyard and countless crows were roosting in the branches of it. Between the pond and the crow-filled tree was a black stone pathway that led from the entryway all the way around the tree, and there were gods lazing about on benches that sat along the edges of the path; they each wore the same type of orange robe as Shimizu and the rest. 

When Shimizu came into the courtyard, all of the crows let out a caw as if greeting her; she nodded at them in return.

Then Yachi suddenly cleared her throat and announced their arrival in a voice that was beautifully musical. “We bring guests. Keiji of the house of Akaashi, and Kenma of the house of Kozume.”

Most of the gods turned to look at the doorway with varying degrees of curiosity as Shimizu went to introduce them to Keiji and Kenma. She first pointed at two men on the closest bench who had been reading a book together. One was blonde, and one had hair that was greenish brown. “That is Tsukishima, god of the moon and tides. And beside him is Yamaguchi, god of luck.”

Tsukishima didn’t even look up at Keiji and Kenma. His eyes were focused on the book held in his hands and he seemed to be reading intently. However, Yamaguchi gave them a nod and a slight smile before returning to reading the book alongside Tsukishima. 

Then Shimizu gestured towards the next bench over. On the path in front it sat a tall man with brown hair that was well past his shoulders, and behind him sat a short man with brown hair that had a blonde streak in the front. The shorter man was braiding the tall man’s hair. And there was also a man with buzzed hair who went to jump up and run over to Shimizu as she spoke.

“There sits Azumane, god of lightning. And behind him is Nishinoya, god of thunder. And this is Tanaka, god of wind,” she said as Tanaka silently fell at her feet in a dramatic bow. 

Nishinoya and Azumane both nodded to Keiji and Kenma in a friendly way, which was a relief; these gods didn’t seem murderous at all. Keiji hoped that Kenma was feeling more at ease since they could see that the gods were not ill tempered after all. They gave off the impression of a big family that was just hanging out casually while waiting for something to come along and entertain them. 

Shimizu ignored Tanaka, who remained at her feet with his forehead to the ground, as she gestured to three gods on the next bench. “That is Ennoshita, god of health. And that is Narita, god of hope. Beside him is Kinoshita, god of fishing.”

All three of those gods nodded at Keiji and Kenma before returning their focus to a card game that they were playing on a small table in front of the bench. 

Finally, Shimizu motioned to a black haired man that seemed irritated and an orange haired man that was giggling about something. “That is Kageyama, god of storms. And beside him is Hinata, god of the sun.”

Hearing his name made Hinata jump up and run over towards Kenma and Keiji, leaving Kageyama to sit and brood by himself. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you! It’s been a long time since we’ve had guests. I’m so excited!”

Kenma was so startled by Hinata’s sudden approach that he shimmed red and went into his camouflage, though it couldn’t hide him completely because of the orange robe he wore. But using his magic only made Hinata even more excited. 

“Wow! I’ve never seen a ningyo use that kind of magic before. Didn’t the Nekoma gods give that magic to the house of Kozume? We used to fight with those gods a lot, but I’d say we’re on good terms now. Hey, how long can you stay like that?”

Kenma didn’t answer Hinata. Instead, he moved to stand behind Keiji and clutch the back of his robe. Keiji wouldn’t be surprised if his friend stayed like that for the rest of their visit; he didn’t do well with large groups, especially when confronted by someone as energetic as Hinata seemed to be. 

At that point, Tanaka finally stood up and gave Shimizu a wide grin. “You’re more beautiful than ever, my goddess! With each passing century… no, with each passing day your beauty grows.” Then he smiled at Yachi. “And so are you! We have such lovely goddesses!”

“And you're as full of flattery as ever,” Shimizu said mildly as she gave Tanaka an amused look. “Now tell me, did you send a curse storm towards Skyway two days ago?”

“Did I send… what? No,” Tanaka said as he adjusted the sleeves of his robe. Then he froze and looked worried. “Wait… did you ask me to? Because if you did… then yeah I absolutely sent a storm. I wouldn’t forget to do something you asked me to do!”

Shimizu hummed quietly and then nodded at Nishinoya. “Did you send a storm two days ago?”

Nishinoya grinned from where he sat behind Azumane as he finished one braid and went to start another. “Firstly, you really do look stunning today, Shimizu. And so do you, Yachi. It blows my mind how beautiful you two are! Secondly, I didn’t send a storm. Two days ago I was helping Ukai with something, and it took from sunrise to sunset.”

“Convenient that you’d say you were with Ukai when he isn’t here to confirm your alibi,” Tsukishima said. He didn’t even look up from his book as he spoke. 

“You calling me a liar?!” yelled Nishinoya as he snapped his fingers, which made a clap of thunder ring out. It was so loud that everyone had to cover their ears, and Yachi ended up letting out a frightened squeak as she pressed her face against Shimizu’s shoulder. Even the crows in the tree flew up and away in a startled hurry. 

Azumane mumbled to Nishinoya as he held his hands over his ears. “Please, Noya. Not while you’re sitting so close to me.”

Once the sound of the thunder fully died away, Yamaguchi elbowed Tsukishima. “Weren’t you there helping Ukai along with Noya?”

Tsukishima grinned slyly as he finally looked up from his book. “There’s no way to prove if I was or wasn’t. And why don’t we ask the actual god of storms if he sent a storm. He’s the one who sends most of them out. He and Hinata cause them constantly thanks to their bickering.”

Kageyama was still seated on a black stone bench by himself, and he didn’t verbally respond to Tsukishima’s baiting. But he did direct a sharp glare at Tsukishima which was enough to send shivers down Keiji’s spine; that look conveyed the wrath of a god, and was probably not even close to the full force of it.

After just a moment, Hinata ran over to stand in front of Kageyama as he spoke in a loud voice. “He actually disappeared for hours a couple days ago. What were you doing, dummy-yama?”

Kayegama went to kick Hinata in the shin, but Hinata dodged it quickly and laughed as he spoke again. “Oh, someone’s acting guilty.”

In response, Kageyama pointed at Hinata and shot a little storm cloud at him. It settled over Hinata’s head and started raining heavily. But Hinata just giggled as he pointed at the cloud above his head, which made a warm light come and dry it up. And when Kageyama threw another storm cloud at Hinata, the orange haired god smacked it away; it went flying up into the sky above them, expanding as it went off in the direction of Skyway. But then Tanaka quickly blew wind at the cloud until it floated back around and went out towards the open sea.

Keiji had heard that the quick changing weather around Skyway was caused by the Karasuno gods, and now he understood why that was. He was taking mental notes on everything going on around him with great curiosity; he was completely lost in observing the gods and didn’t even care about the answer to the question that had brought him there in the first place. 

Meanwhile, Hinata stuck his tongue out at Kageyama. “You’re storms are so weak that it’s easy for me to swat them away. You’ve got nothing on Ukai.”

Tsukishima chuckled. “I guess the god of storms couldn’t have done it, since his storms are too pathetic.”

“Shut up!” Kageyama yelled at Tsukishima as he got Hinata into a headlock. “If I wanted to, I could wash away a whole town! So shove that dumb look on your face right up your ass!”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. “How suspicious that you’d say that. What _were_ you doing by yourself a couple days ago, then?”

Kageyama’s face darkened as he flicked a storm cloud at Tsukishima without letting go of Hinata. “I don’t have to tell you anything, Salty-shima.”

Both Tanaka and Nishinoya burst out laughing at Kageyama’s attempt at an insult. And so did Hinata, though his laughter was strained because Kegeyama still had him in a tight headlock. Meanwhile, Tsukishima successfully swatted the storm cloud away in the direction of the open sea while giving Kageyama a taunting look. 

But then Shimizu cleared her throat, which made everyone calm down and look at her silently. “Kageyama, I’d like you to tell me what you were doing a couple of days ago. Did you send a storm? These two ningyo are concerned, and we owe them an explanation. We make their job of saving humans harder when we send storms without reason.”

Kayegama looked chastised even though Shimizu’s voice had been gentle. His reply came out in a soft mumble as he let go of Hinata. “I wasn’t sending any storms, and I wasn’t doing anything bad. I was just looking for flowers on the far side of the mountain.”

“Who were the flowers for?” Hinata asked with a suddenly hopeful expression.

“Don’t worry about it. I couldn’t find any flowers anyway,” Kageyama grumbled as he straightened his shoulders and tightened his robe. “I’m going to my room.”

“Don’t send out any storms while you’re there,” Tsukishima teased as Kageyama stalked out of the room. 

Yachi watched Kageyama go with a concerned frown. “I’ll go talk to him,” she said as she went to follow Kageyama out of the room. 

Yamaguchi glanced at Tsukishima. “You take it too far sometimes, Tsukki.”

“He’ll be fine. Come on, let’s go put this book back in the library. I’m done with it,” Tsukishima said as he stood up and walked out of the room.

Yamaguchi sighed as he got up and followed Tsukishima out. 

“Did any of you send out a storm?” Shimizu asked the remaining gods in the room, which consisted of Azumane, Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Narita, Kinoshita and Hinata. They all shook their heads innocently.

Shimizu turned to Keiji and gave an apologetic look. “I’m afraid I can’t say for sure if we sent a storm or not. One of our other two gods may have, but I don’t want to disturb them.”

Keiji gave a slight bow as he spoke, though his mind was now preoccupied with the library that Tsukishima had mentioned. He’d love the opportunity to read through what was there at some point. There was sure to be all kinds of information from a time dating back to before the existence of ningyo. “I appreciate the effort you’ve made to get an answer for us.”

Meanwhile, Hinata ran back over to where Kenma’s invisible body was still standing behind Keiji. “So how long can you stay like that? It must be pretty useful. I’ve heard cool stories about the dangerous jobs that members of the house of Kozume do to help keep the sea in balance.”

Kenma let out a short sigh. “I didn’t take any of the jobs I was expected to by the elders of my house. I’m part of the guild at the Crescent Moon Bay lighthouse.”

Hinata’s eyes lit up, and it was obvious that he was a sun god by how the room literally brightened with his mood. “That lighthouse isn’t too far from here! Can I come visit you sometime?!”

“Maybe,” Kenma replied in a noncommittal tone. Though he would have said no if he didn’t want Hinata to come, so it likely meant that he wasn’t totally opposed to the idea of making a new friend. 

Nishinoya's loud voice rang out as he tied off the second braid he had put in Azumane’s hair. “Kageyama’s going to be jealous if you go without him.”

Hinata turned around to grin at Nishinoya. “I was planning to invite him along.”

Nishinoya reached forward to shake Azumane’s shoulder. “We should both go, too!”

“If you’re both going, then I’m going,” Tanaka said as he sauntered over towards Nishinoya and Azumane.

Shimizu cleared her throat quietly to draw attention to herself. “We are not supposed to go to places where humans live. At least, not in large groups. It draws too much attention. Especially considering the way you all behave.”

Tanaka hurried back to Shimizu’s side and nodded solemnly. “I was just thinking that same thing, actually. I only wanted to go along to keep everyone else in line.”

Suddenly, a man with shaggy blonde hair held away from his face by a thin hairband walked into the room; he wore the same orange robe as all the rest, though it was trimmed with black. And it seemed like the atmosphere changed as soon as he made an appearance; it was as though everyone became more serious, and even the air felt heavier. 

Shimizu nodded respectfully at the man and then turned back to Keiji. “This is Ukai, god of war.”

Ukai studied Keiji and Kenma as he lit a cigarette with the snap of his fingers, then glanced at Shimizu as he fiddled with one of the many piercings in his ears. “What’s with these two?” 

“They came to ask about a storm from a couple days ago,” Shimizu replied. “But we couldn’t figure out who sent it.”

“I sent that storm," said another man who walked into the room. His orange robe was also trimmed in black. He had dark curly hair and a friendly smile, as well as glasses; it was slightly odd that gods even wore glasses at all, though Tsukishima had been wearing some as well. 

“This is Takeda, god of connections,” Shimizu said. Then she gestured at Keiji and Kenma. “May I introduce Keiji of the house of Akaashi, and Kenma of the house of Kozume.”

Takeda nodded in greeting. "I had a good reason for sending that storm, though I’m afraid I can’t let you in on what my intentions were."

Kenma, who had finally decided to come out of his camouflage, hummed thoughtfully as he stepped out from behind Keiji’s back. He didn’t speak, but he did look rather smug. This made Keiji realize that Kenma had probably made a deduction based on the information available. He grinned slightly as he wondered what conclusion Kenma had come to, since his friend was rarely wrong when making an educated guess.

“It’s been a while since we’ve had anyone but Satori over to visit,” Takeda said as he continued to smile at them. “But I’m afraid we can’t have you stay any longer today. We have an important gathering to attend with the other gods, and we must travel quite a ways to get there.”

“May I ask why the gods are meeting,” Keiji asked in a cautious voice. He was very curious about the ways of the gods and hoped his question wasn’t overstepping a boundary, but he couldn’t help himself when it came to satisfying his hungry mind. 

Takeda twisted his mouth thoughtfully before he replied. “Usually I would not share that information with a mortal. But in this case, I think it would be okay. All the gods are meeting to discuss dissolving the treaty between humans and ningyo. Your elders have long been requesting that we do so, and we’ve finally decided to seriously consider it.”

Those words made Kenma perk up; he was suddenly listening more intently as he stared at Takeda. Keiji knew that this was because Kenma had long carried anxiety about accidentally triggering a treaty curse. And he knew that all ningyo would be very happy if the treaty was finally dissolved. Though it would pose all kinds of questions, such as whether or not humans should still be saved or if they should be left to the fate dealt to them by the sea. 

“When do you expect to reach a decision,” Keiji asked. 

“Well, I’m not sure. There are many different opinions on the matter, and every god will get a chance to speak their mind,” Tekeda replied with a slightly weary expression.

Keiji was about to ask more questions, but Ukai’s loud voice cracked out in a commanding tone as he finished his cigarette and took Takeda’s hand in his own. “We really need to get going. Hinata, escort the guests to the well and then follow us after.”

Keiji bowed towards Ukai and Takeda respectfully. “Thank you for seeing us today.”

Takeda gave Keiji another warm smile. “I’ll send someone to tell you what decision comes from the meeting,” he said as he turned to walk out of the room with Ukai. 

Shimizu and the other gods went to follow Ukai while Hinata nodded at Keiji. “C’mon, I’ll take you back to the well!”

Keiji and Kenma followed along behind Hinata as he led them out of the courtyard and back down the hallway. And as he went, he talked energetically. “I hope the vote goes in favor of dissolving the treaty. It’ll be so great for you guys to be free of that!”

“It would be nice,” Kenma replied quietly. “I’m tired of worrying about treaty curses.”

“I’m not even sure why the treaty was approved in the first place. We could have just stopped sending storms or something,” Hinata replied as he chattered away. “I actually voted against allowing it because I thought it was unfair to ningyo. Like, why should you be forced to save humans? Don’t get me wrong, I like humans just fine. And I always answer their prayers when they come to our shrine over in Skyway. But they shouldn’t have been allowed to name those terms after what they did.”

“So why was it allowed?” Kenma asked. 

“Mostly it was because some of the gods of the land wanted to punish ningyo for giving in to wrath and making hundreds of thousands of humans die. It threw things out of balance in the cycle of rebirth,” Hinata replied.

“Really?” Keiji had never heard that before. 

“Yeah. Although, when it comes down to it, us gods are the ones that caused most of those deaths thanks to our storms and stuff. So we should have been to blame. I mean, just because we get asked to kill people doesn’t mean we have to do it. You ningyo only killed a small portion of those humans yourselves. I think it was less than a thousand out of the hundreds of thousands that died. And it was the Shiratorizawa gods that sent the worst of the storms, since the house of Ushijima prayed to them for revenge over that fisherman killing one of their young ones. Trust me, you don’t want to get on Washijou’s bad side. He’s very powerful. So is Semi, one of the other Shiratorizawa gods.”

“I didn’t know that the Shiratorizawa gods had played such a large role,” Keiji said. The gods didn’t usually share information about their dealings, especially not in the way that Hinata was doing. It seemed that Hinata either didn’t know or didn’t care about the expectations and barriers between gods and mortals. 

Hinata went on talking as he led them along the hallway. “Oh yeah, if there’s revenge involved then the Shiratorizawa gods are going to be there. But none of those gods would take responsibility for the loss of life caused by their storms when the land gods started freaking out. They said they were only answering the prayers of their followers.”

“I see,” Keiji said as his pupils glowed gold; he was being careful to note everything that was being shared. “I assume that it wasn’t the Shiratorizawa gods that called for the treaty to be made?”

“Nope, definitely not! There were so many humans crying out to the gods of land for help that there was almost a war between the sea gods and the land gods. The land gods wanted ningyo to be punished for the deaths of all those humans, and you know the land gods don’t actually like ningyo. I’m sure you’ve noticed how they don’t answer your prayers. Land gods are biased, and they were so pissed off back then. It was hectic! And you know how Ukai is the god of war? Well, he was so ready to take on those stinky old land gods since they dared to speak against us. And we were all ready for a fight, too. But Takeda stopped Ukai. He’s the only one who can calm him when he gets mad. And then Takeda made the ningyo elders meet with the humans to sort out a treaty, but only after he went to speak with the land gods so that he could calm them too. He’s very good at making things happen, or not happen, when it comes to swaying feelings. You know the magic that the house of Sugawara has? The emotional sensing and changing? That magic came from Takeda himself.”

“Is there still tension between the land gods and the sea gods?” Keiji asked as they came into the well room. 

“Oh, sure. But there always has been and always will be,” Hinata replied with a shrug. 

“Do the land gods still feel as though ningyo deserve to be punished for human lives lost before the treaty?” Keiji asked as he thought about Hinata’s words. He was learning a lot and appreciated how chatty the orange haired god was being. 

“Some might. But I think ningyo have finally saved an equal amount of humans from the sea as had been lost back then. That’s part of why Takeda pushed for this meeting to happen between the sea gods and land gods. He’s the one who called for it, you know. We can’t dissolve the treaty without the approval of the land gods because they represent the humans, since humans don’t remember it.”

“I see. It seems that Takeda is putting in a lot of effort behind the scenes,” Keiji said. 

Hinata nodded. “He’s always hard at work because he really cares about both ningyo and humans. He just cares a lot in general. And he believes that if we keep forcing the treaty to be followed, it’s going to cause resentment and throw things out of balance again.”

“There’s already resentment though,” Kenma remarked. And he wasn’t speaking for himself as much as he was speaking for those in the house of Ushijima, who had lost the most members during the time before the treaty. Kenma was afraid of humans because of the treaty curses more than anything else, but Wakatoshi and his lineage had one thousand years of pent up anger. If anyone was bitter, it was them. 

“Takeda thinks that humans and ningyo are finally at a place where they can start living in peace. He said he has a good feeling about it,” Hinata said cheerfully as he led them over to the edge of the well. 

Keiji went to slip the orange robe off of himself and folded it up, then held it towards Hinata. “Thank you for having us. I hope to visit again soon.”

Kenma slipped his robe off as well and gave it to Hinata. “Put in a good word for us at that meeting, okay?”

Hinata gave a bright grin that lit up the room as he waved to Kenma, who went to climb over the ledge of the well. “Will do! I’ll try to come visit as soon as the meeting’s over!”

After a short wave, Kenma jumped into the water of the well and sank down into it. Then Keiji nodded at Hinata and jumped into the water to follow Kenma, who was already quite a ways down the tunnel and had started flashing his camouflage to make enough light to see by. 

Keiji went to catch up with Kenma. “You’re in quite a hurry to leave.”

“I’ve had enough socializing to last me a week. And I need a nap,” Kenma replied as Keiji came up beside him. “I hope Koushi’s human is gone by the time we get home.”

“I’m hoping he’s still there," Keiji said. He was riding a high from getting to meet so many gods and learn so many things, and new knowledge about humans would really top it all off.

“You would,” Kenma replied dryly as he swam a little faster. “I’ll be in my camouflage when we get home just in case, and I’ll be going right to bed.”

It was silent for a while as Keiji thought about everything he had learned from Hinata. He never realized there was so much tension between the gods, and he didn’t know that Takeda had been going out of his way to smooth things over. And then Keiji thought of the smug look that Kenma had given when they met Tekeda, which surely indicated that he had made a deduction about something. 

“Hey,” Keiji said as they reached the mouth of the cave. “What did you figure out when Takeda came in earlier?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Kenma said with a smirk. 

Keiji sighed as he swam along beside Kenma, who was excellent at making deductions and terrible at sharing them with others. But Kenma would probably tell him at some point. As they made their way out of the cave and headed back towards the lighthouse, Keiji really hoped that Daichi was still there. And he wondered if Tooru had come back from his date yet. He was looking forward to hearing about how things had gone for his two good friends. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

While Kenma and Keiji had been visiting the Karasuno gods, everyone else was still together at the lighthouse. It was a couple hours after lunch and things were going well. Koushi and Daichi were sitting at one side of the table, and across from them was Tooru and Hajime. Meanwhile, Satori was laying on the rug under the table with the cat version of Wakatoshi curled up on his chest. Wakatoshi had grown tired of being around humans, but he didn’t want to leave Satori’s side while they were still there. So hiding below the table as a cat had been the compromise, and Satori had not hesitated to join Wakatoshi in laying under there. 

Tooru had his arm around Hajime’s waist as they looked at the board game that was set up on the table. They were playing a couple versus couple set up; Koushi and Daichi were winning by a wide margin. But that was only because Koushi was reading Hajime and Tooru’s emotions to help figure out their strategy, not that he’d ever admit that. 

Everyone looked over at the door when Keiji and Kenma came walking into the lighthouse. Kenma was in his camouflage, so no one could see him as he hurried past the table and went upstairs. But everyone could see Keiji just fine, and Hajime was embarrassed by how naked Keiji was as he came into the room. He avoided looking at the ningyo, and Daichi was trying to do the same. Neither of them were used to such casual nudity among guys they didn't even know.

“How’d it go with the gods?” Koushi asked as he grinned at Keiji. He was absentmindedly playing with the sleeve of Daichi’s long sleeve shirt where their arms were resting on the table. 

“It was very informative,” Keiji replied as he looked at the game spread across the table with mild curiosity. Then he nodded at Daichi and Hajime before he walked over to the wardrobe. “It’s nice to meet you two. I’m Keiji.”

Satori was petting Wakatoshi’s fur as he peeked over at Keiji’s legs from under the table. “That’s Daichi there beside Koushi. And then Hajime’s the one next to Tooru. Just in case you weren’t sure,” he said with a giggle.

“I’d assumed as much,” replied Keiji as he pulled on boxers and pants.

“Where’s Kenma?” Tooru asked as he looked around the room. “Did he sneak in here already?”

Keiji had just finished pulling a shirt on, so he went to the table to sit down next to Tooru. “Probably upstairs already. He doesn’t want to hang out with everyone right now.”

“I felt irritation from him,” said Koushi as he glanced towards the stairs. “Did something happen to upset him?”

“Not particularly. He’s just tired,” said Keiji as he reached for some of the grapes that were in a bowl on the table. He glanced at Hajime and Daichi again as he ate. For a long moment, he studied the two men quietly; it was as though he was hoping they might start volunteering facts about humans without him having to ask.

Koushi turned to Daichi and gave a small grin. “You’ll get to see Kenma one of these days, but he’s a little nervous about meeting you and Hajime.”

“Is that because he doesn’t like humans in general, or is it us in particular?” Daichi asked as he leaned against the back of his chair and put both his hands behind his head.

“I think it’s mostly about treaty curse stuff,” Koushi replied as he reached over to take a couple apple slices; there were several bowls of fruit around the table that had been put out for snacking on. “Although he does think humans are kind of scary. But he’s never actually talked to one before, and I think he’ll like you once he meets you.”

The cat form of Wakatoshi hissed quietly from under the table at that point, which made Satori click his tongue. “I don’t speak cat, but I’m pretty sure Toshi just said, _‘Kenma is wise to exercise caution around humans. They are super yucky._ ’ Or something like that.”

Tooru snorted out a laugh. “Oh my gods, you copied his voice perfectly.”

Hajime tucked his feet under his chair so that his legs weren’t as close to Wakatoshi, just in case the cat-ningyo decided to scratch at something. Wakatoshi hadn’t spoken much over the last couple hours and had been a cat for the past thirty minutes. But Hajime could tell that Wakatoshi was trying to be polite despite his clear disdain for humans; at least, that’s what it seemed like. However, he still felt like Wakatoshi was judging him silently and with deep disapproval. 

Tooru moved his arm from around Hajime’s waist and reached to take his hand instead, then nodded at Keiji. “While we’re on the topic of yucky humans, would you tell Hajime about the reason for the treaty? I didn’t feel like doing it earlier and he’s curious about the details.”

Koushi nodded in agreement of that idea. “I gave Daichi a quick overview of it already, but I’m sure he’d like to learn more too.”

Keiji briefly grinned as if someone had just offered him a million dollars, then calmed his face and took a deep breath. “I would most certainly be willing to tell them about it. But they’ll need to learn a thorough background on our history as well…. I wonder how far back I should begin.”

Tooru smiled as he glanced at Hajime while pulling a bowl of sliced strawberries closer to them. “Once Keiji gets started on telling a story, it’s best to settle in for a very long listen.”

“Yeah, get comfortable,” Koushi said to Daichi as he grabbed the bowl of apple slices and set it on his lap.

Satori moved his feet up to rest on a chair, and he continued to lay on the rug under the table with the cat version of Wakatoshi on his chest. “Just start at what happened with the fisherman, Keiji. Don’t bore us with all the stuff before that.”

Wakatoshi hissed at the mention of the fisherman, so Satori gently scratched around his ears to calm him.

After a long pause followed by a decided nod, Keiji cleared his throat and settled into storytelling mode. His pupils glowed gold as he told the story from the start; he relied on both his memories from his ancestors and studying he had done independently. And he was a gifted storyteller; his words captivated the attention of everyone in the room. It was getting dark out by the time he finished giving the history of ningyo from the kidnapping and murder of the ningyo child, to the revenge granted by the gods, all the way until what happened just after the treaty was made. Everyone had begun to get hungry by then, so Keiji offered to keep telling Daichi and Hajime about the history of ningyo after they’d all had a meal together. 

But Daichi and Hajime couldn’t stay for dinner because they had a couple of friends coming over that may have already arrived at their house. So they ended up leaving after a quick round of goodbyes. While they hurried towards home, they discussed what they had each been up to before they had run into each other at the lighthouse earlier. Daichi told Hajime about his time with Koushi first, though there wasn’t a lot to say about it since they’d just sat and talked most of the time. And then Hajime told Daichi about how his date went. But he made the mistake of actually calling it a date, and was now dealing with Daichi’s amusement over the fact that he had failed to mention that before. 

“No wonder you were in such a good mood this morning before you left,” said Daichi as he walked beside Hajime. They had just reached the end of the long arc of land that led away from the lighthouse, and had another thirty minutes or so of walking until they made it home. “How long has it even been since you’ve had a real date?”

“It was almost exactly three years ago,” Hajime replied as he crossed his arms, though it was more for warmth than from being grouchy. The evenings around Skyway grew cold quickly once the sun went down, and Hajime didn’t have a jacket; he only had his thin long sleeve shirt to protect his arms from the cold breeze. “Remember that date I went on about a month before I dropped out of school? That was the last one.”

“Oh,” Daichi said quietly. That date had happened just before Hajime’s grandmother passed away, and he probably hadn’t realized that he was bringing up a memory from that point in time. “I do remember you telling me about that date. It ended up awkward, didn’t it?”

Hajime sighed at the memory that still made him cringe sometimes. He had gone on a date with a girl that he had considered a friend, and she was the one who had asked him out. But there was no attraction on Hajime’s end and it was clear that the girl was more invested in the date than he was. He only agreed to go because he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. But that ended up being the wrong choice, and one he’d come to regret. 

“Yeah, it ended up being really weird. We just didn’t click in a romantic sense. And it's not like either of us knew that I was gay at that point. But the most embarrassing part was when I backed away from her as she went to kiss me at the end of it. Then I had to see her at school the next day in our first class, and she wouldn’t even look at me. We never talked again after that.”

“Yeah, I remember how cold she was towards you,” said Daichi. He glanced at Hajime with a sympathetic frown. 

“Right? It was shitty,” said Hajime as he went to rub his hands together to warm them up. He also picked up the pace and started walking faster. He was worried that his friends were stuck waiting around in the cold, and he wished he had have given them a key last time they had come to visit; he had actually had some made for them since then.

“Thankfully my date with Tooru wasn’t awkward at all, even though I’d been worried that it would be. I even had that dream about my boat sinking last night.”

“Wow, you haven’t had that dream in a long time. You must have been a nervous mess,” Daichi teased as he elbowed Hajime’s arm.

Hajime rolled his eyes and chuckled. “I bet you were way more nervous when you met Koushi.”

“Maybe I was a bit on edge,” said Daichi, and his blush would have been visible if it were not so dark out. “I mean, I wasn’t expecting him to be there waiting for me.”

“Well you two sure adapted to each other quickly,” said Hajime. “Koushi seems to like you a lot.”

“I could say the same about you and Tooru. You two seemed pretty comfortable back at the lighthouse. And I noticed that Tooru was very touchy with you,” said Daichi, and his voice was more than just a little amused.

“He’s a very touchy guy. I mean, he was pulling me around by the hand all morning on our date,” said Hajime. He chose to ignore Daichi’s teasing for the time being. “But it was so amazing. I saw whales swimming over our heads at one point, and dolphins too. I’d love to go do it again soon. Maybe Tooru could make the air bubble big enough for you and Koushi to come along next time.” 

“That sounds like fun,” Daichi said as he shivered; even his jacket wasn’t enough to keep him warm with how fast the temperature was dropping. “I’m really glad that your first date with Tooru was a good one.”

Hajime went to stick his hands in his pockets in hopes of warming them up. “The date itself went really well, but I was kind of freaked out by Wakatoshi when he showed up with Tooru as a dog. He makes for a very unfriendly pup. And it caught me off guard when he suddenly transformed into a ningyo and then an eagle.”

“Wakatoshi was a tiger when I first saw him earlier today. And I was shocked when he turned into a cat right in front of us,” Daichi replied with a chuckle as he and Hajime walked along at a quick pace; the breeze seemed to be growing colder with each passing minute. “Seems like he didn’t like us very much.”

“I hope he gets used to us eventually,” said Hajime. He intended to spend a lot more time with Tooru and didn’t want to make Wakatoshi uncomfortable just by being around. And it wouldn’t be possible to have Tooru over to his house regularly while his friends were there, so they’d be forced to hang out at the lighthouse. Otherwise they’d have to be outside all the time. Though Hajime wasn’t totally opposed to that; he liked being out and about in the fresh air. 

“Hey, do you want my jacket?” Daichi offered. “You seem pretty cold.”

Hajime shook his head as he pulled his hands out of his pockets and shook his arms. Then he jogged in place as he spoke. “You seem just as cold as I am, but I know what’ll warm us both up. Ready for a race?”

Daichi grinned and then jumped a couple times to loosen up his muscles. “You’re on!”

“One, two, three… go!” 

Hajime took off running with Daichi right on his heels. They were both fast runners, so they made it to their house in just under five minutes. Hajime just barely beat Daichi to the mailbox at the end of the driveway. And then a familiar voice got their attention as they stopped to catch their breath.

"Where’s your jacket, Hajime? You must be freezing. If you're neglecting your health, Kou and I are going to have to whip your life back into shape," came the voice of a man sitting on one of the porch steps of the house, where he was illuminated by the porch lights that came on automatically once it was dark out.

And that voice belonged to a tall and athletically built twenty-two year old man named Tetsurou, who had been friends with Hajime and Daichi since midddle school even though he was two years older than them. His black hair stuck out around his head in a way that made it seem like he had just rolled out of bed after sleeping between two pillows, which is almost certainly what had happened. But it was an appealing look despite the wildness of it. And he had a catlike gleam in his hazel eyes as he looked at Hajime. It was as though he was watching an injured bird and waiting to see if it would find the strength to fly or if it was grounded and vulnerable. But not in a way intended for swooping in to attack; rather, it was almost in a protective sense. He wore a playful smirk on his sharply featured face, but it didn't completely hide the worry in his expression and words. Tetsurou knew just how difficult the past few years had been for Hajime, and that was likely the cause for his concern. 

Another twenty-two year old man was sitting beside Tetsurou. This man, named Koutarou, was also tall with an athletic build, though his muscle mass was much more bulky and defined. His shock of hair was black with many white streaks throughout it, though it wasn’t from being bleached; his strange hair color was due to a rare genetic trait that had run in his family for as long as anyone could remember. His parents and older sisters all had natural white streaks in their hair, as well as white eyebrows and eyelashes. And Koutarou’s eyebrows and eyelashes were just as white, which augmented his golden eyes that were ringed with a thin line of black. He wore a very tight sweatshirt with a picture of a horned owl on the front of it, and it had the words 'Guess WHO Loves Mythology?' printed on it. And he really was a mythology enthusiast, as well as an owl lover, just as his sweatshirt suggested. 

The two men had stayed with Hajime over the summer for the past four years because they started attending a college that was too far away for regular visits. For various reasons, they didn’t want to stay with their own families. And Hajime’s grandparents had been like their own grandparents to them; the couple had always lovingly accepted all of Hajime’s friends into their home. Koutarou and Tetsurou had shared the spare bedroom the first year, but that was before Hajime’s grandparents passed away. They each had a bedroom to use now, and there was something of an understanding that they could stay with Hajime as long as they wanted.

Daichi scratched the back of his head as he spoke in an apologetic tone. "Hey guys, hope you haven’t been waiting long. We lost track of the time."

Koutarou gave a loud response, but that was just his normal volume. "Hear that, Tetsu? Daichi basically forgot that his favorite friends were coming for their annual summer visit. And here we were all ready to celebrate graduating college. Something’s definitely going on if he’s forgetting plans we confirmed on the phone just last week."

Tetsurou nodded his head solemnly as he reached back to pat a few grocery bags that were behind him. "It’s a good thing we expected that these two wouldn't have their shit together. Don’t worry, boys. We picked up ingredients to make dinner."

Daichi huffed at them before walking over to pull Tetsurou in for a tight hug, and then Hajime went to pull Koutarou in for a hug. 

“It’s been too long,” Tetsurou said as he let go of Daichi and then wrapped Hajime up in his arms. “Kou and I will make dinner while you guys freshen up.”

“You saying we stink?” Hajime said with a laugh.

Tetsurou gave a crooked grin. “You definitely don’t smell like roses.”

With that, Tetsurou picked up the grocery bags while Koutarou grabbed their luggage. And then all four of the men made their way inside through the front door. They kicked off their shoes at the entrance before splitting up to go separate ways. Tetsurou immediately took over the kitchen to make dinner. Meanwhile, Koutarou dropped their luggage off in their rooms, and then settled in to ‘supervise’ the preparation of dinner from the couch while he watched TV. And Hajime headed over to his room to take a shower; he was reeking of fish and seaweed from walking around the bottom of the ocean for several hours with Tooru that morning, and had also worked up a good sweat from his run. 

After having a long shower, Hajime decided that he’d better wash his laundry since he had only bothered to wash Tooru's clothes the night before; he really needed clean sweatshirts. So he went to start his laundry in the washing machine that was in the main area of the house, back in the corner of the kitchen. The washer and dryer were stacked between the wall and the kitchen counter. And it seemed like dinner was already well underway at that point. There was rice in the rice cooker and a pot of soup simmering on the stove. 

At that moment, Koutarou and Tetsurou were each in one of the two spare bedrooms getting changed into comfortable clothes. Although it would be more accurate to say that one was Koutarou’s bedroom while the other was Tetsurou’s bedroom. The two men had the rooms filled with their own stuff, and they already felt and acted like roommates; the only thing they needed were their own keys, and then it would seem official. 

Meanwhile, Daichi had gone to his bedroom to take a shower as well. He came out after a few minutes and sat down to wait for his friends with Hajime, who had already set the table. They both took a moment to enjoy a comfortable silence. 

Before long, Koutarou and Tetsurou came out and joined them. They all ate soup with rice while Daichi and Hajime talked about the guys they had been hanging out with that day, though neither of them mentioned how they had actually met Koushi and Tooru in the first place. Furthermore, Hajime didn’t mention that his outing with Tooru had been a date, nor that they were kind of an official couple now. And Daichi didn’t mention that he and Koushi were considering themselves a couple either. 

But Tetsuou picked up on it anyway; he had always been perceptive. “So you two ended up finding someone to date at the same time? That’s lucky. When do we get to meet these special guys?”

Daichi blushed as he answered. “Ah, I’m not sure.”

“You’re not sure?” Koutarou asked in disbelief. “You don’t want to introduce them to your best friends? What’s with that?”

Hajime cleared his throat as he decided to change the subject. He didn’t know how to deal with the fact that Tooru and Koushi wouldn’t be able to meet Koutarou and Tetsurou due to those weird treaty agreements. So he said the first thing that came to mind. “You know, we got caught in a storm while boating a couple days ago.”

Tetsurou’s eyes widened with worry. “Where were you when it hit?”

“Out past the lighthouse,” said Hajime. “We both fell in the water at one point and it got pretty dicey. But we were saved by….”

“Saved by what!?” Koutarou asked in a voice that was more excited than anything else. 

Hajime paused before he answered. He didn’t want to mention that it was Tooru and Koushi that saved them because it would raise questions that he couldn’t answer. “Saved by some mysterious men that disappeared right after they helped us.”

Koutarou was clearly on the verge of a verbal explosion as he took in that information. He had practically started bouncing in his seat and there was intense enthusiasm etched all over his features. He loved everything that had to do with mysterious happenings in the sea, and part of that was because his family had long cared for one of the town’s shrines. There were countless stories passed down through the many generations of shinshoku in his family; the shine had been in his family’s care for over a thousand years if their verbally passed down history could be believed. But there was another reason that Hajime and Daichi’s storm recuse was so interesting to him. 

Tetsurou sighed playfully from his seat next to Koutarou and then patted his owlish haired friend on the shoulder. "I know you won't calm down until we let you tell that story. So go ahead, Kou. Let it out."

Koutarou took a deep breath and then started retelling a story that everyone in the room had heard countless times. Meanwhile, Tetsurou leaned back in his chair and silently mouthed the words to Koutarou's story; he had memorized it after hearing so many times. "So it happened four years ago, on the day before Tetsu and I left for college. We had borrowed Hajime's boat to go whale watching out past the lighthouse.”

“Without permission,” Hajime mumbled.

Koutarou winked at Hajime as if that little fact didn’t really matter as he went on talking. “We totally forgot the lifejackets on the dock, but we figured we were pretty good at not falling out of boats. So we were like, _‘no worries!’_ And then we made our way out past the lighthouse. But once we got out on the open water, there were no whales in sight. Not even after thirty minutes. It was super disappointing, as you can imagine."

Koutarou hunched his shoulders in a sad way as he remembered the disappointment of not seeing whales when he had really been looking forward to it. And at the same exact time, Tetsurou was mirroring Koutarou’s movements; he always told the story in the same way which made it easy for Tetsurou to copy his body language. Watching Tetsurou miming along was making Hajime and Daichi struggle to hold back laughter as Koutarou continued his story.

"Tetsu got bored after a while. You know how he gets if he’s made to sit still for too long without anything to keep him occupied. Well, he found a can of worms under one of the bench seats while he was trying to find something to do. And for some reason, he took one out and put it in my shirt. I totally screamed because it felt gross! And I was jumping around so much that I fell out of the boat. Since Tetsu knew I couldn't swim, he jumped in after me. But he forgot he couldn't swim either. So I'm sinking, sinking, sinking,” he said as he raised his hands high and slowly lowered them down, which Tetsurou did at the exact same time. 

Koutarou ignored Tetsurou and looked above himself dramatically as he went on. “And I can see Tetsu above me struggling in the water, but he was still close to the boat! So I'm kicking and trying to get up there so I can push him to the boat. But my kicking did nothing at all! It was like one of those dreams where you’re trying to run, but you can’t no matter how hard you try."

Koutarou made a frustrated face as he stomped his feet on the ground to emphasize how much he had tried to kick while in the water, and then flapped his arms to imitate swimming. And all the while, Tetsurou was still copying his movements. Hajime was having to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep himself from laughing at Tetsurou’s antics, and Daichi was having an equally hard time controlling his amusement. 

After a deep breath and a dramatic pause, Koutarou kept talking in his best narrator voice; he had once deemed himself the storyteller of their friend group, and he did his best to live up to the title. "So I'm there in the water and I'm thinking to myself, _'damn. I’m out of air, I don't think I can hold my breath any longer.'_ But right before I took a big inhale of water, a man swam over to me and kissed me! He blew air into my lungs and literally saved my life. But it also kind of took my breath away because I didn’t expect to get kissed, you know?!”

Koutarou had taken a moment to unintentionally grin like a lovestruck goofball before continuing, and of course Tetsurou mimicked his expression. It was all a predictable part of his tale. “So then the man took my hand and pulled me upwards. When we got to the surface, he pushed Tetsu close enough to grab the boat. Then he looked at me and the pupils of his eyes glowed a gold color for a second!"

"Wait! His eyes glowed gold?" Hajime asked as he sat up and felt his amusement give way to genuine curiosity. He had forgotten that detail of Koutarou’s story, and he had seen Keiji’s pupils glowing gold earlier that day.

Tetsurou ruffled Koutarou's hair affectionately. "So he says. I still think he was imagining some stuff since I didn’t see anyone else in the water with us."

"I wasn't imagining things! You guys never believe me!" Koutarou said with a pout as he crossed his arms.

"I believe you, Kou," Hajime said quickly. If Koutarou and Tetsurou had been saved by Keiji, that would mean they could talk to the ningyo at the lighthouse without putting them at risk. But he’d have to run it by Tooru to see if Keiji had mentioned saving two reckless guys four years back.

Daichi spoke up suddenly; he had likely come to the same conclusion as Hajime. "Do you remember anything else about the man that saved you? Did he have black hair?"

Koutarou gave a deep sigh filled with longing. "It all happened so fast that I didn’t get a good look at him. He disappeared under the water right before I was going to thank him. If I ever see him again, I’ll be so happy! And I think I’d recognize him somehow. My heart would just know... you know?”

"I wonder if you’ll ever see him again," said Daichi while scratching the side of his neck nervously. He glanced at Hajime and they had a moment of silent communication; both men felt that they shouldn’t give away the fact that Tooru and Koushi were ningyo without asking if it was okay to talk about it. Which meant they couldn’t mention Keiji either.

Tetsurou scooted his chair back and leaned his elbows on the table. "So what I'm getting from all this is that you’ve all been saved by mystery men. And I’m the odd man out."

“Sounds like you were saved by whoever saved Kou. So he’s your mystery man too,” Hajime said with a teasing grin. He was feeling relieved at the fact that he may not have to keep his boyfriend away from his friends; it was making him even more excited to see Tooru in the morning, since they had plans to hang out again.

“I don’t know about that,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle. “I didn’t get mouth to mouth from the guy like Kou did, so he has first dibs.” He then gave an impish grin as he winked at Hajime. “Speaking of mouth to mouth, I want to hear more about the guy that stole your heart. That’s a big development for you since you were always terrible at dating.”

Hajime huffed loudly at that. "Who said anything about my heart getting stolen?"

Tetsurou smiled slyly. "There’s basically sparkles in your eyes when you talk about this Tooru guy. And Daichi blushes when he mentions Koushi. You’re both smitten already.”

Hajime shook his head and was about to argue, but Tetsurou went on talking before he could speak.

“And don’t get me started about how much Kou talks about his _heroic rescuer,_ because it’s a daily occurrence. He’s always saying how much he wants to see him again. It’s a little sad, honestly,” Tetsurou said as he went to pat Koutarou’s arm. “You need to move on eventually, dude. It’s been four years.”

“Good things come to those who wait,” Koutarou replied with a stubborn pout. 

Tetsurou gave Kouratou a patronizing nod before turning his attention back to Hajime and Daichi. “And now I’ll have to deal with you two who’ve been gushing over these guys you're seeing. But hey, I’m happy for you.” 

Daichi was blushing. He put his hands over his cheeks in a way that was probably meant to be subtle as he replied. "We weren't gushing."

"Yeah, fuck you," said Hajime grouchily. He was feeling the urge to deny the fact that he actually did like Tooru; he got that contrary nature from his grandmother.

Tetsurou just gave a crooked grin and a playful wink in response. He didn’t seem like he was going to press the issue, but he would almost definitely bring the topic up again at a later point in time just to mess with the two men. He shifted his smug gaze to Daichi, who was still blushing deeply while trying to cover his flushed cheeks with his hands. 

Meanwhile, Koutarou cleared his throat and pulled a small notebook out his pocket. "If anyone’s interested, I've been doing a ton of research on the internet about mythological sea creatures!" 

"I’m always interested in your research, Kou," said Tetsurou while he continued smirking at both Daichi and Hajime. “Tell us all about it.”

Koutarou got comfortable in his seat and began to speak in a melodramatic voice as he referred to his notebook. "The creatures that sounded the most like my rescuer are called ningyo. They’re supposed to have shiny golden scales, the face of a human, the body of a fish, and a voice like a flute.”

After a moment, Hajime tried to deny the false claims without letting on that he knew a few things about actual ningyo. "Uh, Kou... none of that sounds very realistic."

“Yeah, that isn’t how you’ve described your hero in the past,” said Tetsurou as he finally looked over at Koutarou.

Without responding to the disagreements, Koutarou went on talking. “Ningyo are said to be delicious, and eating them can make you live for a super-duper long time.”

“Gross, why would someone eat something that looks human,” Tetsurou said with a disgusted grimace.

Meanwhile, Daichi and Hajime were both frowning. Hajime felt his stomach grow nauseated because he and Daichi just heard the story of the events leading up to the treaty, and they knew about the evil deeds of the fisherman. Someone certainly _had_ eaten something that looked human. Then others repeated that same cruel choice, and there had been hell to pay for it. 

Tetsurou had been about to speak again, but Koutarou put one finger over Tetrusou’s lips to silence him. “Ssshhhh, I’m not done yet. If a ningyo is caught by a fisherman, it will bring curses and storms. So fishermen who find these creatures in their nets are supposed to throw them back into the ocean."

“How ominous,” said Tetsurou as he mumbled against Koutarou’s finger.

"Wait! There's more," said Koutarou as he finally pulled his hand away from Tetsurou’s mouth and gestured excitedly. "The ningyo are believed to have magical abilities. A whole variety of types, like being able to cry pearls instead of tears or do fortune telling. And they can turn people into stone by looking at them. Some are even supposed to be able to shape-shift, using beautiful human-like bodies to lure people into the sea where they can drown them!"

Hajime almost snorted out a laugh because he had the mental image of Wakatoshi wearing a stoic expression while asking him to please step into the sea so that he could drown him.

Tetsurou raised himself from his seat and grabbed everyone's empty bowls. As he did so, he replied to Koutarou in a voice that was both sarcastic and heavily playful. "Wow Kou, sounds like you’ve solved it. You just somehow made your _'ningyo'_ want to save you instead of drown you. Maybe he thought you were too good looking and couldn't let that go to waste by killing you.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised at all, because I’m pretty cute,” said Koutarou with an air of confidence. Then he went on talking about his research as he flipped through his notebook. “According to one story, the first ningyo was a human that was cursed by the gods for fishing in a sacred part of the sea. So maybe ningyo are like… part human. But I also read that ningyo are prone to rage and despise all humans, and that they’re supposed to be really unintelligent. I guess the myths can’t all be accurate though.”

“Myths aren’t supposed to be accurate at all, that’s why they're called myths,” Hajime said dryly as he glanced at Daichi, who seemed like he was struggling with keeping himself from correcting Koutarou. And Hajime was having an equally hard time keeping himself from giving his friend an accurate description of what ningyo were really like.

Tetsurou had walked the dishes to the sink before calling to the others from where he was leaning his head into the open refrigerator. "I'm grabbing us all a couple beers. I need to take the edge off after hearing about these supposedly _terrible_ creatures. Plus, we’re supposed to be celebrating Kou and I graduating college."

Hajime was tired of hearing ningyo slander at that point, so he grinned at Tetsurou as the man walked back over with the beers. "We haven’t gotten to hear about you guys yet. How does it feel being college graduates?"

"Yeah, I'm curious to know what your plans are now that you have your degree for video game development and programming. What was the other major you did? Engineering of some type?" Daichi asked while looking at Tetsurou curiously. 

As he sat back down at the table, Tetsurou set two beers each in front of his friends. "Software engineering with a minor in computer science. And I actually have an idea for a game. After listening to Kou go on and on about his savior for so long, I decided to make one about the sea. And I guess I can make some ningyo characters, now that Kou's painted such a vivid picture for us. I’m not sure on the details yet, but I'm planning on using my time here this summer to start my creative process."

Daichi smiled at Tetsurou and gave an approving nod. "That sounds like a cool idea. But I hope you're not going to base them on the ones Kou just described."

Tetsurou smirked as he shrugged his shoulders. "It's still too early to say for sure. I’ve got to brainstorm about it."

Hajime looked over at Koutarou. "And what are you going to do, Kou? Marine biology is a funny degree for someone who can't swim worth shit. And what about the shrine that your family cares for? Weren’t you supposed to become a shinshoku?”

“My sisters can run the shrine without my help,” replied Koutarou in a nonchalant way that seemed a little too forced. He then crossed his arms and started purposely flexing hard as he did so. "You know, I only sink in the water because I'm so muscular. My buff bod weighs me down. And as far as my career plan, I'm hoping I can intern at the ocean conservation center that my friend works at while I'm here this summer. But I’d really like to do research of some type so that I can learn more about the ocean and the animals that live in it, and figure out how to protect all of it.”

Daichi glanced at Koutarou as he opened his beer. “You always did love finding animals in the tide pools to look at. And I think you even had a little notebook to write about your discoveries in.”

“I had several notebooks,” Koutarou said with a grin. “I still have them all somewhere.”

Tetsurou had already finished his first beer and was opening his second one. "What about you guys? Is canning fish everything you dreamed it would be?"

"Actually, I just found out I'm in line for a management position," Daichi said while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. 

Koutarou gave a loud howl of joy before he spoke. "That's so great man! You’re the management type all the way through! Tetsu and I always said so." 

Tetsurou took a big gulp of beer before he responded. "Yep, that's right. Dad-chi is what we called you behind you back in high school, even though you're younger than us."

“Wow. I’m honored,” Daichi said dryly.

Koutarou glanced at Hajime with an expression that was both curious and timid. “Have you ever thought about trying to finish your high school degree, Hajime? Maybe you could go to college afterwards.”

Hajime thought about it for a moment before he answered. “I really should finish it at some point. But I’m pretty content with my job at the cannery. It’s not a fun job, but it keeps me busy. And I’m good at it. If I were to leave and try to do something else… well, it’s just a weird thought at this point. I’ve already been working there for a few years now.”

Tetsurou reached over to nudge Hajime’s shoulder in a friendly way. “Hey, you had a totally valid reason for dropping out. And not having your diploma doesn’t make you any less valuable of an employee.”

“Thanks man,” said Hajime. Then he went to change the subject because he hated talking about high school. "You know, we could go to the cove behind the house tomorrow afternoon so I can teach Kou how to swim. You could stand to learn as well, Tetsu.” 

Daichi coughed after choking on a sip of beer. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

Hajime frowned before he spoke. "Why not? I taught you."

Daichi gave a reluctant smile. "Yeah, and I still can't swim. Plus, your lessons gave me _deep_ emotional wounds. Sometimes I still hear your voice yelling _'stroke, stroke, breath'_ in my head, and I don't want you scarring Kou and Tetsu in the same way."

Tetsurou laughed loudly. "I appreciate you looking out for my well being, Daichi. And I have a better idea for what we can do tomorrow." 

Koutarou, who had been pouring his beer in his mouth while holding the can above his head, garbled out something like, "whurt yew gert ian?"

Hajime rolled his eyes at Koutarou, who had ended up spilling beer down himself. "What's your idea, Tetsu? No nude sunbathing, though. We’re not doing that again."

Tetsurou smirked impishly. "I wasn't going to suggest that now that I know how sensitive our asscheeks are when they’re sunburnt. My idea is much better than that. Let’s all go to the tide pools! I want to do some sketches and I’m sure Kou would love to see it again.”

Koutarou nodded enthusiastically as he patted his beer soaked shirt with napkins. “Yeah, let’s do it first thing in the morning!”

“That sounds cool, but I’ll be busy in the morning. I’m going to go get parts to fix my boat,” said Hajime. He didn’t mention that Tooru was going to be coming with him, and in his ‘ _human disguise,’_ whatever that meant.

“Oh, and I actually have something to do in the morning as well,” Daichi said as a blush crept up his face. 

Tetsurou raised an eyebrow. “Oh? With who? Wait, don’t tell me. I’m willing to bet that you’re hanging out with that Koushi guy.”

“Yeah, that’s right,” Daichi admitted as he gave a small grin. 

“Well, have him tag along with us to the tide pools,” Tetsurou said as he set his empty beer can down on the table. “I really need to meet the guy who can make you blush like this.”

“Maybe another time,” said Daichi after a moment of hesitation. “I think we’re watching a movie together. He’s into horror films and there’s one he wants to show me.”

Tetsurou sighed and then clicked his tongue. “Alright, have it your way. Kou and I will go enjoy the beauty of the tide pools by ourselves.”

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Changing what was here to let you all know that my great grandma passed away and I'm having a hard time with it. I'm probably going to take a short break from writing this. Idk, I'll be back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back and I'm exhausted.

It was the next morning and Kenma was sitting beside Keiji on the counter next to the washing machine. He was watching as Satori gave Wakatoshi a haircut. Satori was always the one to do haircuts since he had the most talent for it; he’d gained that skill after lots of practice over the years. It’s not like they could go into town for haircuts, and someone had to do it. And so the friends were all gathered on the third floor of the lighthouse since the tile flooring made it easy to clean up hair clippings, and everyone except Kenma and Keiji were naked. Kenma had no intention of letting Satori cut his hair, so he was already dressed in his favorite hoodie and a comfortable pair of sweatpants. Keiji was in shorts and a casual button up shirt; it was likely he had an outing planned for the day and Kenma was waiting to find out exactly what that outing would be.

Satori was just finishing with Wakatoshi’s haircut, which had changed nothing aside from taking off a mere centimeter of hair. Wakatoshi liked his hair to be the exact same way every time. But when it came down to it, none of them ever went for bold style changes. 

“You look even more handsome now,” Satori said as he held a small mirror in front of Wakatoshi.

“Really? I do not look any different,” Wakatoshi said as he studied himself in the mirror. 

Satori giggled and went to affectionately press his cheek against Wakatoshi’s forehead. “Just say _thank you_ , darling. I’m complimenting you.”

“Well then, thank you,” Wakatoshi said as he stood up from the short stool he had been sitting on. He brushed the little bits of hair clippings off his face, chest and shoulders. Then he turned and gave Satori a kiss on the lips that lingered for a long time.

Kenma rolled his eyes and looked away. Satori and Wakatoshi hadn’t been dating when he was at the lighthouse the previous summer, so he hadn’t had to watch them be all loving and mushy back then. But he had in fact predicted that they’d get together eventually. He and Keiji had been right at the end of their annual summer visit when Wakatoshi had arrived, and there had been obvious chemistry between Satori and Wakatoshi. So the fact that they were now dating was no surprise. Though Kenma could certainly live without watching all the kissing and cuddling that they seemed so inclined to do. 

“P-D-A alert,” Tooru said from where he was leaning against the counter beside Kenma. He was not likely bothered by it though; he was just teasing them for fun, as he often did.

Wakatoshi ended the kiss with a blush, then turned around and went into the bathroom to shower without saying anything.

Satori had reached out to pinch Wakatoshi’s butt as he walked away and then smirked at Tooru while twirling the scissors around one of his fingers. “Jealous much, are we?”

“Hardly,” Tooru said as he walked over and went to sit down on the short stool in front of Satori so that he could get his haircut. “I don’t need to be jealous because I have Hajime. I’m sure you’ll be seeing lots of P-D-A from me and him in the near future.”

Kenma internally groaned; he wasn’t looking forward to all the displays of affection that were sure to be frequent and over the top. Tooru was more touchy than all the rest of them, and he always had been. When they were growing up together, Tooru was always hugging or holding hands with his various friends. He’d even tried to hold Kenma’s hand a few times, but he stopped once he realized that Kenma didn’t want him to do so; he may be overly affectionate, but he did respect personal boundaries. 

“Oh, that’s true. You’re not single anymore. You’re a part of a set,” Satori said as he continued to spin the scissors around one of his fingers. Then he looked over at Koushi, who was pulling laundry out of the washing machine, and gave him a wink. ”And so are you, Koushi-moshi. My little stalkers have boyfriends now.”

Kenma scooted farther back on the counter and leaned his head against the wall while tucking his hands into the large front pocket of his hoodie. Wearing a hoodie was the next best thing to being in camouflage, and much less exhausting than using magic. “If you all pair off, me and Keiji are going to be subjected to endless third wheeling.”

“You won’t be third wheels. You’ll have each other to talk to,” Koushi teased as he hung a shirt up on the clothesline. 

Kenma rolled his eyes and then glanced at Keiji, who was sitting on the counter beside him while reading a book. “Don’t get into a relationship. I refuse to be the only third wheel.”

Keiji looked up from his book and glanced at Kenma with a raised eyebrow and the very slightest hint of embarrassment. “And who exactly would I start dating? It’s not like I know anyone here, nor am I likely to meet anyone.”

“What about that man you saved four years ago? I’m going to ask Daichi if he knows who that was,” Koushi said as he hung a sweatshirt up to dry. He was smiling in a way that made his kind offer seem mischievous in nature. 

Keiji lightly blushed at that, though he kept his face and voice calm. “You really shouldn’t. I already told you that I’m over that crush.”

Kenma glanced at Keiji with narrowed eyes and studied him carefully, though it didn’t even take any effort at all to realize that his friend was lying. Keiji was especially easy to read because they had been friends since they were infants. And they’d been inseparable as they grew up together. But Kenma didn’t call out the lie; it made no difference to him if Keiji wanted to act like he was over a man that was still on his mind.

“Uhm… excuse me?” Tooru said as Satori started brushing through his hair with a comb. “What man did Keiji save four years ago?”

Satori gave a flat grin as he started trimming Tooru’s hair with both flair and precision. “Oooh, that’s right. You weren’t here when Keiji was telling us about it. Apparently he rescued two men from drowning four years ago, and he has a crush on one of them.”

Tooru gasped as he turned his head to look at Keiji. “Am I the last one to know about this?”

Keiji sighed as he looked back down at his book. “Not the last, no. I’ve not told Toshi about it yet.”

“Actually, I told Toshi about it already,” Satori said as he reached over and turned Tooru’s head forward again. Then he snipped his scissors in the air a few times in a playfully threatening way. “Stay still or I’m going to mess up the layers. Do you want it like usual, or are you feeling adventurous today?” 

“Like usual, and don’t take too much off,” Tooru replied with a pout. Then he crossed his arms as he went on speaking. “I can’t believe that I’m the last one to learn that Keiji has a crush on someone. All he does is read. You don’t meet people when your nose is stuck in a book all day.”

“I don’t have a crush on him anymore. It was just a passing fancy,” Keiji said as he turned the page in the book that he held; he was now giving it an exaggerated amount of focus, even for him.

_‘More like a lasting fancy,’_ Kenma thought to himself.

And he had of course known about Keiji’s crush from before the rescue had happened; Keiji was so obvious when sneaking off to the tide pools back then. He had also known about Tooru and Koushi’s crushes from the very first summer that he and Keiji had come to visit the lighthouse. It wasn’t hard to figure out when his friends were hiding things thanks to the second magic that had been gifted to the house of Kozume, which was an enhanced ability to make deductions about others and his environment. He found it interesting that Koushi hadn’t figured out Keiji’s crush sooner since he could read emotions; but he was perfectly capable of reading them now, it seemed.

Koushi clicked his tongue and shook his head at Keiji as he hung up a pair of pants. “It’s useless to deny your feelings when I’m around. I may not have noticed it back then, but I can feel it clearly now. Your crush is basically screaming at me. It’s saying _‘help me find that man,’_ and I can’t ignore such a pitiful plea.”

Keiji held his book up higher to hide his face. But Kenma could still see it from where he was sitting, and it was redder than he’d seen it in a long time. He didn’t understand why Keiji got so flustered over a guy he didn’t even know. It made no sense. And it was a human, at that; a relationship with a human was in no way accepted anymore. Though the elders of the house of Akaashi would probably be the most accepting about it since it could be seen as a way to gain information about humans. They’d all do anything for a bit of knowledge, especially if it was knowledge that had previously been out of reach.

Satori snipped at Tooru’s hair as he giggled. “Poor Keiji. Four years of longing and nothing to show for it. But Tooru and Koushi had to wait five years for their crushes to notice them. So maybe you’ll get your man next year,” he said as he tilted his head and gave Keiji a flat smirk.

“He’s not my man,” Keiji said from behind his book.

Tooru hummed as he drummed his fingers on the tops of his thighs. “He’s not your man _yet._ But we can fix that. What did he look like? I’ll ask Hajime about him on our date today.”

“And I need something to go on when I ask Daichi about him,” Koushi said as he slung a pair of pants over one of the two clotheslines. 

Keiji didn’t answer; he was pretending to be very interested in whatever he was reading. 

But Kenma could have told everyone what the man looked like since Keiji had once given him a vivid description. He’d even be willing to accept his role as the only third wheel if it meant that Keiji could find that man again. Because he did want his friend to be happy; he wasn’t an asshole. But that didn’t mean that he himself had to be happy about it. And he wasn’t going to push for it to happen. Just because he would accept it if it came to be didn’t mean that he was going to go out of his way to help it along. He wasn’t a god of matchmaking, after all. He knew how to mind his own business. 

Kenma yawned as he stretched his arms over his head and then smirked at Tooru as he spoke; he couldn’t resist the opportunity to tease him. “So did Hajime actually say it was a date this time, or did you just assume again?”

“He did call it a date, actually,” Tooru said with a smug air of confidence. “We agreed to it on the way back from our first date.”

Satori had just finished trimming Tooru’s hair at that point, so he ruffled it around to get the excess hair clippings out of it. “And what are you doing on this date? I’ve got ideas if you need help figuring it out. Like, bring him here and hang out up on the gallery deck. It’s a beautiful view. Very romantic, perfect for a date.”

Kenma huddled down into his hoodie as he spoke. “You just want them to be where you can listen in on what they’re saying.”

Satori grinned and winked; he didn’t deny anything as he started spinning the scissors around his fingers carelessly

“Our plan is already set. We’re going to town to get stuff for Hajime’s boat, and then he’s going to show me around,” Tooru said as he stood up and brushed the hair clippings off of his body. 

“Really?” Satori gave Tooru the mirror with his free hand. “My, my, my. That’s a bold move for you. You’ve never gone to town before.”

Tooru ran his fingers through his hair and fluffed it around as he used the hand mirror to look at himself. “I’ve got to be bold to get what I want, and I’m not afraid of going to town. There’ll be lots of things to see.”

Keiji finally lowered his book down from his face at that point. “I’d like to go to town one of these days. There will be lots of human customs to learn about there.”

“It can’t be that interesting,” Kenma said dryly. Humans seemed absolutely unappealing to him; they didn’t have magic, they had shorter lifespans, and they had been horribly cruel in the distant past when interactions were still common. And Keiji understood those facts better than anyone thanks to his inherited memories, as flawed as they were. Though Kenma wouldn’t give away the fact that he knew how inconsistent those old memories were; he knew that Keiji was particular about keeping it a secret. 

“Humans are actually very interesting,” Keiji replied as he set his book down on the counter beside himself and adjusted the collar of his short sleeve button up shirt. 

“I’ll never understand your obsession with humans,” Kenma said as he glanced at Keiji. 

“It’s not an obsession. We just don’t know enough about humans. And they’re not unpleasant to be around, either. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with Hajime and Daichi yesterday evening,” Keiji said as he gave Kenma an almost reproachful look.

“Of course you did. They let you talk nonstop for three hours, and you love showing off how much you know,” Kenma said as he pulled on his hoodie strings and twisted them around his fingers. 

“I wasn’t showing off. They wanted to know something, and I provided them with information,” Keiji said as he scooted back on the counter to lean against the wall.

Satori gave his catlike grin as he swept up some of the hair on the floor with a broom, though it looked more like he was goofing off and dancing around. “You seemed so disappointed when they had to leave. I’m sure you’d have talked all night long if given the chance.”

“Well, there’s a lot of history to tell. But I didn’t get to ask them any questions about their culture,” Keiji said with a slight frown.

“You’ll get plenty of opportunities for that,” Tooru replied as he went to walk into the bathroom. “Hajime’s going to be around all the time now.”

Wakatoshi was just coming out of the bathroom and almost ran into Tooru by accident. “I am not looking forward to that.”

“You’ll have to adapt, Toshi. Because I can’t go to Hajime’s place right now,” Tooru said as he stepped around Wakatoshi and went into the bathroom to rinse off in the shower. 

“I will manage just fine,” Wakatoshi said with a flat expression. “Though I hope you do not bring him over every single day.”

Satori gave Wakatoshi a playful grin as he reached up to wrap his arms around him. “You were so patient with Hajime and Daichi last night. You may have glared at them most of the time, but you didn’t say anything rude at all.”

“There is no point in being rude. However, I still feel no desire to befriend those humans. I will tolerate them, but only as long as they are kind to Koushi and Tooru,” Wakatoshi said as he hugged Satori.

Satori continued to hold onto Wakatoshi as he nuzzled his face against him. “You do love looking out for them, don’t you? I’m absolutely overjoyed that you’ve gotten so attached to everyone here. We’re like a little family now!”

“Our guild is very similar to a family, I suppose,” Wakatoshi mumbled as he tenderly ran a hand through Satori’s hair. 

Meanwhile, Koushi had finished hanging up the laundry on the clotheslines that went across the room. So he ducked under a few shirts and went to sit on the stool so that Satori could cut his hair, then gave Wakatoshi a sincere grin. “I really appreciate the effort you’ve made to get along with Daichi and Hajime. I could feel how uncomfortable you were when we first came in for lunch, but by the end of it you seemed to have reached a place of acceptance.”

“He seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else in the whole world from my perspective,” Kenma teased. 

“How would you know? You stayed upstairs until they left. You’re our little hermit crab,” Satori said as he rested his head on Wakatoshi’s shoulder. 

“I didn’t stay upstairs the whole time. I came down after I had a nap,” Kenma replied. “I just stayed in my camouflage so I didn’t have to participate in the conversation.”

“I wish I had that option,” Wakatoshi said as he let go of Satori, who went over to run his hand through Koushi’s hair before taking the comb to it.

“If you became an ant, then no one would notice you,” Koushi said as he grinned impishly and closed his eyes; Satori had started to trim his hair in the front.

Wakatoshi looked slightly offended. “I will never become a bug.”

“What’s wrong with bugs?” Keiji asked. “It seems like they’d be a useful animal for you to transform into sometimes. Especially if you wanted to be stealthy.”

Wakatoshi crossed his arms as he responded. “A bug would be a weak form to take.”

Keiji hummed thoughtfully. “Don’t you transform into weaker animals when needed, though?” 

“No,” Wakatoshi said plainly. “There is never a need for weakness.”

“I think you’d make such a good bunny though,” Satori said with a grin as he trimmed Koushi’s hair. 

Wakatoshi frowned and furrowed his brows as though he were imagining himself as a bunny. “What would I be able to do as a bunny? There are stronger animals that can jump much higher.”

“You’d just be cute,” Satori replied as he gave a smile that crinkled the skin around his eyes. “And soft. I’d sit and pet you all day long, and it would be so relaxing.”

“I see… I suppose I could be a bunny sometimes,” Wakatoshi said decidedly. 

Kenma gave a sarcastic grin. “So would you transform into a bug if Satori told you to?”

Wakatoshi looked at Kenma, then over at Satori; he thought for a moment before he spoke. “I… I am not sure. It would not be enjoyable to be so small and fragile.”

“He was only joking, darling. I’d never ask you to do that,” Satori said as he held the hand mirror in front of Koushi.

“That’s all I wanted you to do. Thanks, Tori,” Koushi said as he got up and brushed the hair clippings off of his face and chest. After a moment, he went into the bathroom to wait for his turn in the shower. Though he’d likely have to wait a few more minutes since Tooru was midway through belting out some of his favorite songs.

“I wish someone would let me have a little fun with their haircut,” Satori said as he flipped the small mirror around in his hand. Then he glanced at Kenma and narrowed eyes while a devilish smile spread over his lips. “Say, Kenma. Can I give you a new hairstyle?”

“No,” Kenma said flatly. He had only let Satori cut his hair once before and he had no intention of ever letting it happen again.

Satori pouted as he set the mirror down on the counter and reached out to touch Kenma’s shoulder length hair. “But it’s always falling in front of your face. Why don’t you try something new?”

“I don’t trust you with my hair anymore,” Kenma replied as he swatted Satori’s hand away. “Last time I did, you gave me a bowl cut.”

“That looked so adorable on you though,” Satori said while he started twirling the scissors around on one finger. Then he nodded at Keiji. “Did you want a trim? We could go for something short and breezy.”

Keiji shook his head. “I’m going to grow my hair out again, like it was when I was a child.”

“I’ll grow mine out again too,” Kenma said as he grinned at Keiji. They had both had very long hair when they were children, and they had spent many evenings styling each other’s hair back then. Keiji had only had short hair for five years; he’d gotten it cut when he and Kenma were fourteen. 

“Guess that just leaves me then!” Satori said as he went to sit down on the stool with one of his legs tucked up against his chest. Then he brushed his fingers through his hair and clipped the ends without being able to see what he was doing, and he smiled confidently all the while.

Wakatoshi watched Satori for a moment, then went towards the stairs. “Be careful with the scissors, Tori. I am going up to the lantern room to check the beacon.”

“Thanks, darling. I’ll be up to help soon,” Satori replied as he clipped at his hair; he had already narrowly avoided cutting his fingers more than once. And there were countless times he had cut himself while doing his own haircuts, so they always kept a good stock of bandages around.

Keiji watched Satori cutting his own hair with a mellow expression as he crossed his arms. “It still amazes me that your hair turns out decent even though you cut it like that.”

“It comes down to trusting myself,” replied Satori. Then he gave a short giggle. “That, and not caring all that much about the final result.”

Just then, Tooru finally stepped out of the bathroom; he was as dry as ever thanks to his water resistant body. After running a hand through his hair, he nodded at Satori as he spoke. “I’m going to borrow the hat, sunglasses and gloves that you always wear when you go do the shopping. I told Hajime I’d go to town in a human disguise, though he had no idea what that meant,” he said with an amused grin.

“I can’t believe you’re going to wear that. You’ll look silly,” said Kenma. He wouldn’t be willing to wear that ridiculous disguise no matter what he got out of it. The hat was huge and impractical, the gloves were excessively long, and the sunglasses were so large that they made the wearer look bug eyed. 

“Well, what choice do I have?” Tooru said with a pout. “I don’t want to get cursed for accidentally touching an unsaved human. I’ve heard that the skin rash from that is horribly itchy and takes weeks to fully heal.”

“Just wear a long sleeve shirt and keep your hands in your pockets,” Kenma replied with a sarcastic smirk. 

Tooru blinked silently for a few moments, and Kenma could tell that it hadn’t occurred to him to do it that way. “I guess I can skip the gloves. But I’m still going to wear the hat and the sunglasses.”

“Why? Nothing will happen to you if you look at an unsaved human without sunglasses on,” Kenma said as he scooted forward to get down from the counter.

“Because it’s very sunny today,” Tooru replied as he tossed his hair.

“You know, we may not have to worry about the curses much longer,” Keiji said; he went to get down off of the counter as well at that point. “I forgot to tell you all about this last night, but the gods are meeting to discuss whether or not they should dissolve the treaty.”

Satori let out a long, questioning humming sound as he continued to clip at his own hair. “I can’t believe my ears…. I thought I just heard you admit that you forgot something.” 

“I guess you don’t want to hear what the gods told me,” Keiji said dryly. 

“Sorry! Just _forget_ I said anything,” Satori said as he finally finished clipping his hair. He started shaking it around by running his fingers through it; the length was a few inches shorter than it had been, but it still had the wild and windblown look that it always seemed to retain. 

Tooru went to get a bandaid out of the bathroom cupboard as he spoke, since Satori had managed to cut one of his fingers with the scissors. “I’d heard that the elders were pushing for that again. What made the gods decide to consider it?” 

“I guess Takeda, one of the gods, is the one who called for the meeting,” Keiji replied as he went to start sweeping up the hair clippings. “He thinks ningyo and humans are at a place where we can live side by side once again, and we’ve finally saved an equal amount of humans as was lost before the treaty.”

“Really?” Satori asked as Tooru came over and bandaged his finger. “How did you get Takeda to tell you that? He’s not usually so open with that kind of information.”

“It was Hinata that told us,” Kenma said with a wry grin. “He’s got no filter, apparently.”

Satori made an ‘o’ shape with his mouth. “Oooooooh, I see. That makes sense! Hinata’s the most friendly of the gods, and the most talkative. Although Tanaka and Nishinoya can be pretty chatty as well. I love hanging out there, especially when Ukai’s angry. It makes the air vibrate in a very fun way.”

“They were an interesting group,” Keiji replied as he continued to sweep the tile floor. “I’d like to go visit them again after they finish with their meeting. Their library must be amazing.”

Satori glanced at Keiji with a catlike grin. “You know, there’s a library in town with all kinds of books. I’ve never been inside of it, but I bet you’d love it.”

Kenma groaned. “Don’t tell him that. He’ll go sneaking into town and get himself cursed by bumping into humans as he reads.”

Suddenly Koushi burst out of the bathroom. “I can sense Daichi coming! We all need to get dressed _right now!”_

“Why the rush?” Satori gestured towards Koushi’s body with both hands. “He’d probably like a little sneak peek of your goods.”

Koushi hurried past Satori and started running down the stairs. He called back over his shoulder as he went. “That’s not happening this time. I’m bringing Daichi upstairs to watch a movie with me, so don’t bother us.”

“Define _‘bother’_ because I may have to pass by on the stairs a few dozen times,” Satori called as he leaned his head over the opening in the floor that allowed for the stairs to come through. “And I can’t guarantee that I’ll be wearing clothes!”

“I’ll make you feel terror like you’ve never known before if you even dare to try that!” Koushi yelled up from where he had already made it down to the first floor.

“Is that a challenge?” Satori called down with a grin. After hearing Koushi give an irritated huff, he chuckled and then went into the bathroom to rinse himself off since he still had some hair clippings on his body.

Meanwhile, Tooru let out a sigh as he nervously ran his hands through his hair. “I guess I should go get dressed too. I told Hajime I’d meet him at the dock soon, and then we’re going to head to town.”

“Are you worried about going, since you’ve never gone there before?” Kenma asked as he gave Tooru a curious stare. Tooru always put on such a brave front, but it was easy to read him; he seemed pretty anxious based on his body language. And Kenma was very good at reading body language. That was mainly what his magically enhanced deduction boiled down to; noticing small details that other people tended to overlook or ignore.

“A little bit. But I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Tooru said with a shrug and a forced smile. 

Koushi, who was now dressed in a pair of tight shorts and a thin shirt, rushed back upstairs just then with an arm full of clothes. He started throwing some of them at Tooru with unnecessary force. “Put clothes on before Daichi gets here! And here are some for Toshi and Tori,” he said as he tossed some clothes in a pile just next to the stairs.

“Are you trying to keep Daichi from knowing that we all have skin under our clothes? Cause I’m sure he’s going to figure that out,” Kenma said teasingly. 

Koushi crossed his arms and let out a frantic huff. “Daichi was really uncomfortable when Keiji showed up naked yesterday, and I don’t want him to feel hesitant about coming over.”

“I had wanted to find out about why humans are weird about seeing nakedness. I wonder if it’s all nudity, or just with strangers,” Keiji wondered out loud. “Can I come ask Daichi about it before you guys watch your movie?”

Koushi twisted his mouth up reluctantly as he turned towards the stairs. “I’d rather you didn’t. That would give our date an uncomfortable vibe to start off on.”

Satori came out of the bathroom just then and gave a wide grin as he put his hands on his hips. “What’s going to give your date an uncomfortable vibe?”

“Nothing,” Koushi said as he took some of the clothes from the pile next to the stairs and threw them at Satori. “Put these on and bring the rest up to the lantern room for Toshi.”

“Aw, but I was really feeling a nude day today,” Satori teased as he went to grab the clothes that had landed on his head. 

There was a knock on the door downstairs that was barely audible from the third floor. But Koushi heard it, and he quickly turned to rush back down stairs. “There’s Daichi!”

Tooru had just finished getting dressed, so he walked into the bathroom to look at himself in the mirror. After seeming to have confirmed that Koushi had picked him a cute outfit, he nodded at himself and then walked over towards the stairs. “I’m going to head out now. Ugh, I hate how long it takes to walk to the dock from here. I'm probably going to be late."

“You could just swim instead,” Kenma said as he stuck his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie. “With your water manipulation, you could speed up the currents and get there in just a couple of minutes.”

Tooru sighed. “I’d have to carry all my clothes on my head so they don’t get wet. It would take just as long if I did it that way.”

“Couldn’t you just float there? Make a big wave and ride something over,” Satori suggested as he finished getting dressed. Then he picked up the clothes for Wakatoshi and started up the stairs to bring them to the lantern room.

“That’s… actually a really good idea,” Tooru said with a grin. “Oh my gods. What an entrance that will make!”

“Life’s always better when you make it fun,” Satori called down as he made it to the fourth floor of the lighthouse. 

Tooru turned to hurry down the stairs. “I’m going to go look for something to float on. I’ll see you guys later!”

“Don’t forget to grab a pair of shoes,” Keiji said as Tooru disappeared from sight. Then he turned to Kenma and gave a slight grin. “What should we do with ourselves today?”

“Personally, I had wanted to play video games. But I guess Koushi and Daichi will be using the TV for a while,” Kenma said with slight irritation. He had beaten a level the night before and had wanted to start on the next one as soon as possible. Although he’d already played through all the games at the lighthouse; there were only a few of them. “The real question is what did you want to do? I know you have something in mind.”

Keiji fiddled with his fingers as he spoke. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”

Kenma cringed; he was almost physically pained by that suggestion. And he had a good idea about where they’d be walking. Keiji always went to the tide pools within a few days of getting to the lighthouse when they had visited over the summer during the past few years. He’d allow himself one trip there, and then he’d avoid it for the rest of their visit. But now that they would be living at the lighthouse, Kenma was willing to bet that Keiji would go there daily when possible. He knew his friend was hoping to see the man he had saved again, even if he wouldn’t admit to it. 

It would take over an hour to get there at the pace that Keiji liked to walk. But there was nothing better to do, so Kenma let out a resigned sigh before he spoke. “Fine. Let’s go.”

Keiji was studying Kenma’s face with a small frown. “We don’t have to if you’re that opposed to it.”

“What do you mean? I love walking,” Kenma deadpanned as he went towards the stairs. “Let’s get going before I change my mind.” 

“You really don’t have to come,” Keiji said as he followed Kenma down the stairs. “I can go for a walk by myself.”

“I said it’s fine,” Kenma replied as they walked past the second floor where Daichi and Koushi had settled in on the couch to watch a movie with the lights out. 

Koushi had mentioned that he was going to show Daichi some of his favorite horror films, and Kenma was willing to bet that he’d amplify Daichi’s fear. Koushi couldn’t help himself when it came to that kind of thing. He loved pranks and he loved manipulating people’s emotions for entertainment, even if he was always talking about the importance of respecting feelings and all that other garbage he spouted. Daichi was in for a stressful time. Kenma chuckled as he thought that Koushi should have just gone ahead and been naked; that way, Daichi would get a consolation prize for putting up with how scared he was about to be. 

Kenma and Keiji kept on going until they made it outside, where Tooru was digging through the storage shed that was near the lighthouse. And he was already wearing Satori’s wide brimmed floppy hat and huge sunglasses. He also held a pair of shoes in one hand. 

“You seem like you’re all ready to go be a weirdo,” Kenma said as he and Keiji walked over to where the shed was, which was off to one side of the lighthouse.

“Always,” Tooru said as he turned around to look at his friends. “And where are you two going?”

“On a fun little walk,” Kenma said in a tone that was heavily sarcastic.

“Wow, you seem so excited about that,” Tooru teased as he went back to looking through the shed for something that would work to ride a wave on. 

“It’s very sunny today,” Keiji said as he looked up at the clear blue sky. “Maybe we should bring umbrellas so the sun doesn’t dry our skin out.”

“Then we’ll look like weirdos too,” Kenma complained. Though it was true that walking around in direct sunlight for too long would dry their skin out in a painful way.

Tooru suddenly tossed two umbrellas at Kenma, which he’d happened upon in the shed. “Better to be weird than dried out and sunburnt.”

Keiji leaned down to pick up the umbrellas and then handed one to Kenma. “We’ll be able to go for a longer walk if we use these.”

“Great,” Kenma said with a sigh. “A longer walk is just what I was hoping for.”

“Ah-ha!” Tooru exclaimed as he pulled a surfboard out of the shed. “This will be perfect!”

Keiji and Kenma glanced at each other with matching expressions of doubt; Tooru had never surfed before. In fact, none of them had except for Satori. That surfboard belonged to Satori’s mother, and she had taught Satori how to use it. But none of the rest of them had given it a shot.

After a moment, Keiji cleared his throat. “I believe there’s a life raft in there. You might want to use that instead. You’ll have a hard time balancing on the surfboard.”

“A life raft is a boat. And I don’t want to ride on a boat,” Tooru said as he stubbornly pulled the surfboard out of the shed.

“Good luck getting that down the cliffside,” Kenma said as he opened his umbrella and turned to start walking along the path leading away from the lighthouse. 

Tooru slammed the shed doors closed and started dragging the surfboard towards the cliffside. “Good luck walking around,” he replied sassily. 

Keiji watched Tooru approach the cliffside before he turned to follow Kenma. “I hope he manages okay.”

“I’d be willing to bet that he doesn’t actually use the surfboard in the end,” Kenma said confidently.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for spending time reading this. I've accepted that this fic has taken over my life.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are more typos than usual. It's midnight and it took me several hours to get through the final edit for this chapter. I was having tons of those "read the same sentence over and over because you immediately forgot what you just read" moments. 
> 
> Also, in this AU Tooru has a terrible sense of balance. That's just the way it is.

When Tooru reached the edge of the cliff, he was faced with an obstacle. Climbing down the cliffside while holding the surfboard would be a major challenge. Especially while holding his shoes, which he didn’t want to wear until it was necessary. Having shoes on felt restrictive and uncomfortable for him. They wouldn’t be helpful while he was trying to balance on the surfboard, either. So for the time being, he tied the shoes together by their laces and hung them around his neck. And then he twisted his mouth thoughtfully as he looked at the surfboard. It would be very tedious to climb down with it tucked under one arm, especially while holding his body at an angle so that the surfboard wouldn’t bump into the cliffside. 

There wasn’t another option though; throwing it down would probably break it, and Tooru didn’t want to face the wrath of Satori’s mom if she ever decided to come back for her surfboard. So he made a slow and careful descent down the rocky cliffside, using one hand to climb and using his other to keep the surfboard tucked under his arm. It took him almost triple the amount of time to climb down the cliffside as it usually would have; he was definitely going to be late getting to the dock, and Hajime was sure to be waiting there already. 

Once he made it down to the beach below the rocky cliffside, he walked up to the water and set the surfboard down on the sand behind him. Then he leaned down to roll up his pants until they were just below his knees. He hoped to completely avoid getting his clothes wet. Next, he pulled the wide brimmed hat down on his head so that it was more secure. Then he finally grabbed the surfboard and stepped into the shallows with it. The waves were milder than usual, and the frigid water felt good on his feet. He closed his eyes and took a deep inhale of the salty sea air while smiling. He was feeling very confident about surfing across the bay, regardless of his complete lack of experience. It just didn’t seem that challenging to him. He could control water at will, and he swam through strong currents all the time. So he was sure that he could ride a wave across Crescent Moon Bay.

After he set the surfboard down in the water where it was shallow enough to remain partially on the sand, he stepped onto it and used his magic to make water swell underneath the board so that it would pull him further away from shore. But balancing on it once it was fully in the water was harder than he thought it would be; he ended up having to jump back onto the sand to avoid falling into the water. He had watched Satori’s mom surf during the first year he and Koushi were living at the lighthouse, which was just before she retired to live out her golden age. And she had made it look so easy. Even Satori had used the surfboard a few times back then, and it hadn’t seemed complicated. 

But that was the simple truth about watching versus doing; skills are rarely as easy as they seem, and nobody masters a new one on the first attempt.

Or the tenth attempt; Tooru kept trying to stand up on the surfboard, but he almost fell into the water several times and ended up with some wetness on his shirt sleeves. He kept trying for about five minutes. Then five minutes blurred into twenty, and he finally had some noticeable improvement. He managed to stand up and keep his balance, so he held his hand out towards the water so that he could get going. His hand glowed teal from his magic as he made a wave rise up and push the surfboard along. But he fell immediately afterwards, and he parted the water just in time to avoid getting his clothes totally soaked. However, he also avoided letting the water catch his fall by doing so. He landed on the rocky sea floor instead, which earned him a cut on the palm of his hand and a bump on his shin that was going to leave a bruise; one was already forming. 

On any other day, he’d have kept trying until he figured out how to do it; he wasn’t one to give up when dealing with the challenge of a new skill. But Hajime was waiting for him. So in the end, he carried the surfboard to the base of the cliffside and left it there. He could already imagine the smug look that Kenma would have when he admitted that the surfboard didn’t work out. And now he was once again faced with walking all the way to the dock. After letting out a long and irritated sigh, he decided that he’d run along the bottom of the bay in an air bubble to save time. That way he wouldn’t have to go around the arc of land that led from the lighthouse to the far shore; a direct route would take less time then a roundabout one.

He walked up to the shoreline and held his hand out towards the water with a renewed sense of determination. His hand glowed teal as he used his magic to part the water wide enough for himself to pass through, and extended it about halfway from the shore to the dock. That was as far as he could manage without causing pain from overexerting himself. And once the path was made, he took off running. However, the seabed was far from flat; it was full of rocks, crevices, and other obstacles. So it was slower going than he’d have hoped. 

He closed the curtains of water behind himself as he made it to the halfway point, then extended the opening in front of himself until it came to just near the dock, though not quite to the shoreline. And he was in for an unpleasant surprise as he hurried onward. Had he known that a smack of Nomura jellyfish was up ahead of him, he’d have parted the water differently and gone around them. But he didn’t know, and so dozens of the large jellyfish fell into the path ahead of him. He accidentally stepped on several of them before he could stop his body’s momentum. They burst and covered his feet and ankles in slime, which was disgusting to look at, to smell and to feel. He’d have been stung by them if he was a human. Luckily, his ningyo skin was immune to their toxins. But he wasn’t immune to being grossed out.

“You damn pests,” Tooru said after he gagged on their overpowering scent, which was unpleasantly fishy and sour. Then took a few steps back and started to wipe his feet in some seagrass. “Ugh, it’s not coming off!”

It took several minutes of alternating between rubbing his feet around in seagrass and sticking them in the water curtain for the gooey slime to feel like it was fully cleaned off. And by the time Tooru redirected his walkway and made it to the boat dock, he was at least an hour late to meet Hajime. It was not the way he’d have preferred to start their second date. And he really hoped that the smell of the jellyfish wasn’t lingering on him, so he washed his feet and ankles in the water a couple more times to be sure.

As Tooru came out of the water and released it from his magic, he glanced over at the dock. He could see Hajime laying at the start of it; his hands were behind his head and he had a plain green baseball cap pulled down over his face. And he was wearing his ‘Godzilla Will Come Again’ sweatshirt. It seemed like he had fallen asleep, which made Tooru feel even more guilty for being so late. 

But not so guilty that he didn’t want to try and mess with Hajime. After he unrolled his pants so that it covered up the ugly bruised scrape from his earlier fall, he grinned as he quietly walked towards the dock. The wet sand was good for his goal; it made no sound as he walked across it. Once he made it to the dock, he sat down beside Hajime as softly as he could. He wanted to startle him. However, he ended up being the one who was startled when Hajime suddenly spoke.

“You’re late, you know.”

Tooru squeaked and almost fell over in surprise, which made Hajime chuckle as he sat up and pulled his baseball cap up off his face. 

“I thought you were sleeping,” Tooru said as he held a hand against his chest to steady his pounding heart. 

“I was just conserving my energy since you seemed to be taking your sweet time getting here,” Hajime said with a slightly brusque tone. Then his eyes moved to look up at the wide brimmed floppy hat that Tooru was wearing, and he cracked a small grin. “Is that supposed to be your _‘human disguise,’_ or is that just your style?”

“It isn’t really my style,” Tooru said as he ran his fingers along the edge of his black hat and then adjusted his large sunglasses. “This is part of what Satori wears when he goes to do the shopping, so we call it our human disguise.”

Hajime looked from the hat to the sunglasses, and then cleared his throat as he stood up. “Well, it looks good on you. Ready to go?”

“I’m very ready. Sorry for being so late,” Tooru said as he blushed at Hajime’s compliment. He’d have to rub that in Kenma’s face later since he had called him a weirdo for wearing the hat and sunglasses in the first place. 

Hajime reached over to grab Tooru’s hand, then looked at the cut that was on it. “What happened here?”

“Oh, nothing major. I just had a little accident on my way over,” Tooru replied as he looked down at his hand; there was some dried blood on it, but it wasn’t a deep cut. He had actually forgotten all about it.

Hajime frowned slightly. “We can ask to use the first aid kit at the boat shop.”

“It’s really not a big deal,” Tooru said as he pulled his hand back and put it in his pocket, then reached his uninjured hand out to hold onto Hajime’s arm.

“Shouldn’t you put those on?” Hajime pointed at the shoes hanging around Tooru’s neck.

“Ah, right,” Tooru said as he sat down on the dock. He untied the laces and went to put the shoes on. And they were just as unpleasant as he expected them to be. He’d only ever worn shoes once before, and it hadn’t lasted long. He didn’t like how shoes squeezed his feet. And they’d make it hard to feel where he was walking.

“I’m kind of surprised that you want to go into town with me. It seems kind of risky since you can’t talk to people,” Hajime said as he held a hand out to help Tooru up. Then they walked off the dock and onto the sandy beach.

“Or touch them,” Tooru said as he kept a hold on Hajime’s hand; he was glad that he had skipped wearing Satori’s gloves. “I’ve never been to town in the whole five years that I’ve lived here. So it was about time that I went to check it out and see what it’s like.”

“There’s not a whole lot to it,” replied Hajime. He glanced down at his and Tooru’s intertwined fingers for a moment, then smiled as he focused his attention back towards where they were walking. “It’s a small town and a lot of the buildings are old.”

“Old buildings have their own stories to tell, as Keiji would say,” Tooru said as he squeezed Hajime’s hand, and it was from both nervousness and excitement. He really was curious about Skyway, but he had also never had a reason or much interest in going there before. It just hadn’t seemed worth the risk of accidentally touching or talking to an unsaved human. But he had a reason for going there now; he wanted to be part of Hajime’s life in every way that he could. And that included doing little things like going to a boat shop to get parts. 

“Oh, speaking of Keiji,” Hajime said as they walked along the shore together. “Did he happen to save a couple of guys about four years ago?”

Tooru tilted his head and grinned as he looked over at Hajime. “Funny you should ask that, because I just found out that Keiji did in fact save two men about four years ago. And I had actually wanted to ask you about the guys he saved so that we could figure out who they were, but Keiji wouldn’t tell me what they looked like.”

“I think Keiji saved my friends. The ones that are visiting me over the summer,” Hajime said as he led Tooru onto a sidewalk that was at the edge of the sand. There was a parking lot along behind the sandy beach, though it was empty at the moment. 

When he heard Hajime’s words, Tooru stopped walking. “Are you serious right now?!” 

“Uh, yeah? Why would I joke about that,” Hajime replied as he looked at Tooru curiously. He had stopped walking as well. 

Quite suddenly, Tooru started giggling so hard that he had to let go of Hajime’s hand and wrap his arms around his waist. Hajime stared at him with a confused expression as he had his fit of laughter. It was just too perfect of a coincidence and he couldn’t help from having a reaction to it, though perhaps it wasn’t the most fitting response. 

When Tooru finally calmed down, he wiped away some tears. They had come out from how hard he had been laughing. Then he took Hajime’s hand again and sighed contentedly before he spoke. “I can’t wait to tell Keiji that I know who he saved. Oh, it’s going to be great! Are you friends back at your house? I want to go meet them!”

“They’re going to the tide pools once they wake up, and they’ll probably be there all day,” Hajime said as he started walking again. “But what’s so funny about it?”

“It’s not really funny. I was just surprised,” Tooru said as he grinned. “It seems like the gods of matchmaking are showing us favor.”

“Okay,” Hajime said as he scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. “Well my friend Koutarou has been wanting to see Keiji for a long time, I guess.”

“Hm, I hope Koutarou is the right one,” Tooru said. He figured it would be pretty awkward if the guy Keiji liked all this time didn’t like him back. Especially if the other guy liked him instead. 

Hajime’s eyebrows furrowed as they walked up to the end of the parking lot, which led out to a street lined with old buildings. “The right one?”

“Ah, nothing. Sorry. Forget I said anything,” Tooru replied with a wave of his hand. He knew that Keiji would be unhappy with him if he revealed too much without permission.

As they walked up the street, Tooru looked around at the buildings that lined either side of it. Many of them were weatherworn. They all had signs that were faded, but still readable. There was a bait shop and a bar right ahead of them. On the other side of the street was a souvenir shop and a place that seemed to rent out kayaks. Tooru watched people coming and going from them, though there were not many. The area didn’t seem to be popular at this time of day. However, everyone that he saw gave Hajime a friendly wave.

“You know a lot of people here, don’t you?” Tooru asked quietly as the seventh person they passed by gave Hajime a friendly greeting. 

Hajime had nodded at that person, then turned his attention back to Tooru. “I know most of the people here. My grandparents were always dragging me along to visit with their friends. And when a town is this small, you tend to get to know your neighbors.”

“It must be nice having so many friends.” Tooru kept his voice quiet as he glanced at another person who was passing them while giving Hajime a friendly nod. He was careful to keep his free hand in his pocket to avoid accidentally brushing up against anyone, and he held onto Hajime tightly with his other hand.

Hajime shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t even know most of them, just their name and face.”

A man with black hair that was shaped up in a way that almost resembled a turnip had just walked out of a coffee shop that was further up the street. When he saw Hajime, he grinned and started to walk over. Tooru squeezed Hajime’s hand tightly and clenched his jaw to keep himself from accidentally talking to the man. 

The man was soon standing right in front of them. “Hajime! How’ve you been, man?” 

“Hey, Yuutarou. I’ve been good. How about you?” Hajime replied as he ran his thumb over Tooru’s hand in a comforting way. 

Yuutarou shrugged and then nodded at Tooru. “Not bad. Who’s this?”

Tooru desperately wanted to say, ‘I’m his boyfriend’ because he hadn’t gotten to say that to anyone yet. But he kept his mouth shut.

“This is Tooru,” Hajime replied. Then he nodded at Yuutarou. “Tooru, meet my friend Yuutarou Kindaichi. We went to high school together.”

Tooru nodded politely and bit his tongue. It was extremely difficult to keep himself from speaking; he thought of himself as a pretty friendly guy, after all.

Yuutarou glanced at where Hajime and Tooru’s hands were linked between their bodies, and then grinned as if he’d made a realization. “Nice to meet you, Tooru.”

“Tooru can’t actually talk right now,” Hajime said as he glanced from Tooru to Yuutarou. “He damaged his vocal cords from screaming too loud.”

Tooru looked over at Hajime and frowned. They hadn’t agreed on what to do if someone tried talking to him, and that hardly seemed like a believable excuse. Although Yuutarou ended up buying it anyway. 

“That’s a bummer! You two should swing by the coffee shop so Akira can hook you guys up with some tea. On the house, of course. We even have one that’s good for sore throats,” Yuutarou offered with a friendly smile. 

“Thanks, we might just do that,” Hajime said with an appreciative nod. Then he started to lead Tooru away while waving at Yuutarou. “It was great seeing you. Catch you later, man.” 

Yuutarou nodded as he turned to walk down the sidewalk. “Later, Hajime.”

As Tooru watched Yuutarou walk away, he breathed a sigh of relief. And he waited until he was well out of earshot before he spoke. “He seems nice.”

“Yeah, he’s cool,” Hajime said as he led Tooru along down the sidewalk in the opposite direction as Yuutarou had gone. “He and his boyfriend run the coffee shop over there. Did you want to stop in for some tea before we go to the boat shop?”

Tooru glanced at the front of the building that had a coffee cup painted on the window. It didn’t seem crowded inside, so he nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Hajime opened the door to the coffee shop and let Tooru step inside first. There were lots of booths that lined the walls, and then just a few tables in the middle of the room. Then there was a bar with stools along it. Even though it was Tooru’s first time in a coffee shop, he had a general idea of what to expect from it thanks to movies and TV shows he’d watched at the lighthouse. And this one was pretty much what he’d have expected. Still, it was cool to see an actual coffee shop in real life. 

There was a black haired man behind the counter that looked completely bored, and he was doodling idly on a notepad. His name tag read ‘Akira Kunimi.’ When he saw Hajime coming over, he gave a friendly smile. “Well if it isn’t my favorite customer. What’ll it be? Anything you want, no charge.”

Hajime didn’t even look at the menu before he gave their order. “Just two lemon teas, and put lots of honey in one of them.”

Tooru rolled his eyes and stifled a laugh. He knew that honey was supposed to be good for sore throats; Keiji had taught him that after reading about it. But Hajime was really playing up the fake vocal cord injury. 

“Sure, I’ll have that right out. Sit anywhere,” Akira said as he turned away and went to prepare the tea. 

Hajime pulled his wallet out and stuffed a few bills into the tip jar, then led Tooru over to an empty booth that had a view of the sidewalk from the window. “You can watch people from here easily enough.”

“How’d you know that I’d want to?” Tooru asked very quietly as he slid onto the padded bench seat and sat close to the window. He wasn’t sure if being overheard by an unsaved human would bring on a curse in the same way as talking to one directly. He’d have to ask Keiji about it later. Since there were a few other people in the coffee shop, he planned to be extra careful.

Hajime chuckled as he went to sit next to Tooru. “Well, it wasn’t hard to guess. You’re easy to read. I can tell you’re terrified, by the way. Let me know if you get too stressed out and we can leave. I don’t have to go to the boat shop today, either. We could hang out at the lighthouse instead.”

“I’ll be fine,” Tooru whispered as he watched a woman who was walking a dog pass by the window. “That’s just a normal dog, right?”

As Hajime reached an arm over to wrap around Tooru’s back, he grinned playfully. “We don’t have anyone that transforms into animals around here.”

“Right, of course,” Tooru whispered. He’d just never seen someone with an actual pet before. Ningyo didn’t keep pets, though they did interact with sea creatures sometimes. Dolphins were especially playful. But he had learned about land animals as a child, and had always wondered what it would be like to play with a real one. 

“You totally want to pet that dog, don’t you?”

Tooru turned to look at Hajime and gave a defiant grin as he whispered a reply. “Don’t think you’ll always be right when you’re trying to read my mind.”

Just then, Akira came over with the two cups of tea. He sat one in front of Tooru and one in front of Hajime. “I put the one with honey in front of your date. I assume it was for him since you don’t like your tea sweetened.”

“That’s right,” Hajime said as he gave an exaggerated pat of sympathy to Tooru’s arm. “He damaged his vocal cord recently, and his doctor told him not to talk for a few months. It’s very hard for him. But the doctor also said that warm tea with honey might help speed up his recovery.”

Akira raised an eyebrow as he looked at Tooru. “Is that so? Well, I hope you feel better soon. I’ve never seen you around here before. Did you just move here?”

Tooru almost made the mistake of answering out loud. He stopped himself just in time and nodded politely instead. He felt Hajime squeeze his waist slightly as if he could tell how close he’d just come to getting cursed. 

“Yeah, he moved here a few weeks ago. Thanks again for these,” Hajime said in a tone that was clearly ending the conversation. 

Akira winked at Hajime and then turned to walk away. “No problem. Enjoy your date.”

Hajime turned to look at Tooru as he picked up his tea. “Remind me about what happens if you talk to someone?”

“My tongue would burn very badly,” Tooru whispered. “It would be painful for a long time, though I think it would heal eventually.”

Hajime gave a worried frown. “Maybe we shouldn’t hang out in town then. It seems like you’re constantly on the verge of talking to anyone who gives you the time of day.”

“Well excuse me for being a sociable person,” Tooru whispered irritably as he stirred his tea and went to take a sip of it. The flavor of it was both sour and sweet, which was appealing. “Hey, this is really good. What’s it called again?”

After taking a drink of his own tea, Hajime turned to look at Tooru as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard him right. “Have you never had tea before?”

Tooru shook his head and then gave a quiet response. “No. We don’t buy a lot of human foods because we don’t have a lot of money each month.”

“Huh. I didn’t even think about the fact that none of you have jobs that would pay. How do you get the money that you do have?” 

“We get some of the money given to the shrines. The gods let us have a share of it,” Tooru said quietly right before he took another sip of the tea that was so much more delicious than plain water. 

Hajime snorted out a short laugh. “So the gods give you an allowance, basically.”

“There’s nothing funny about it,” Tooru said in a hushed voice. “Do you know how long it takes me to save up for stuff? I saved for three months last time I wanted new clothes. Tori picked me out some nice stuff, though.” 

Hajime hummed thoughtfully. “Is that why you don’t have a cell phone?”

Tooru nodded. “Yeah, too expensive. And it’s not like we can get jobs to supplement our income.”

“That’s pretty rough,” Hajime said as he looked into his now empty tea cup. 

“Yes, I live a hard life,” Tooru whispered dramatically. Then he went to finish the rest of his tea, which was gone before he wanted it to be. He was definitely putting tea and honey on the list for next time Satori went shopping.

Hajime went to pull on the edge of Tooru’s hat until it was crooked. “Ready to go?” 

Tooru reached over and pulled Hajime’s hat down over his face in response. “Yes I am.”

They both laughed as they adjusted their hats and went to leave the small coffee shop. They both waved at Akira, who watched them go with an amused smirk. And it seemed warmer outside than it had earlier. That might have been from drinking the tea, or from the sun that was beating down without any cloud cover to disrupt it. Tooru was very glad he’d worn long sleeve clothes and the hat; direct sunlight without any cover would make his skin dry and flaky after a while. 

They made their way up the sidewalk, and it seemed like the town was finally coming to life. There were more people out and Hajime had a steady stream of them who were nodding at him or acknowledging him by name. Many of those people seemed to be older, so Tooru assumed they were some of the ones that Hajime mentioned that he knew through his grandparents. 

As expected, Tooru’s feet were hurting him thanks to the shoes. He couldn't wait to get them off. They were such an inconvenience. 

It only took five minutes for them to reach the small boat shop that Hajime frequented. The building was old and the dark blue paint was peeling away, but it seemed like a nice place otherwise. Or at least it did in Tooru’s limited experience. He didn’t have any knowledge of human buildings to compare it to, though the lighthouse had been made by humans a long time ago. But the lighthouse had been renovated many times over the years to keep it functioning well. 

“The shop owner here was close to my grandparents, and he might be extra friendly towards you since you're here with me. So be careful not to say anything to him,” Hajime said as he walked with Tooru towards the door of the boat shop. 

“Here’s the real test of my self control, then,” Tooru said quietly. He had done well so far with keeping his mouth shut around people, and he hoped he could keep it up. 

As they went into the shop, a little bell jingled as the door closed behind them. Tooru took a moment to look around and ended up taking off his sunglasses so that he could see better; the room was not well lit, and it’s not like there were any curses for looking at an unsaved human with just his own eyes. The shop had a few boats on display on one side of the room, and on the other side was a counter with a cash register. There were also rows and rows of shelves with all kinds of parts on them that lined the middle of the room. 

After a brief wait, an old man came out from the back of the shop and greeted Hajime with a smile; he had thinning grey hair, and a pair of glasses that were pushed up on top of his head. “Welcome, Hajime! It’s been a few months since I’ve seen you. How’ve you been doing?”

“Hello, Mr. Irihata. I’m doing well. How’s your family?” Hajime said as he gave the shopkeeper a respectful nod. 

“Oh, same old. The wife’s got a new project she’s working on, and the kids never come home to visit. But I’ve got a grandbaby on the way!” Mr. Irihata spoke as he shuffled over closer to Hajime and Tooru. 

Tooru felt his nerves clench up in his stomach. He wasn’t sure how he’d manage to avoid responding to this old man. He’d seem so rude if he ignored an elder; among ningyo, respect was always given to elders. But Hajime seemed to be one step ahead of him. 

“A grandbaby, huh? Congratulations. Oh, this is Tooru. He’s lost his voice temporarily after a vocal cord injury, but he’s glad to meet you,” Hajime said as he subtly ran his hand over Tooru’s back in a reassuring way.

Mr. Irihata seemed to have only just noticed Tooru. “Lost his voice, did he? You know, your grandmother had an amazing drink for that. What was the recipe again? Ah, shoot. My old brain can’t remember. But your grandmother always did have the best remedies for all types of ailments. My, I sure do miss her and her wisecracks.”

Hajime’s eyes softened as he spoke. “Yeah, I miss those wisecracks of hers too.”

Tooru could hear the pain in Hajime’s voice underneath the fondness. Hajime had briefly mentioned that his grandparents passed away when they were on their sea exploration date; he’d had the same expression when talking about them back then as he did now. Tooru reached for Hajime’s hand and gave it a squeeze, then kept a hold on it.

Mr. Irihata reached out to pat Hajime on the shoulder. “Your grandparents were good friends to me, and I think of them often. Now what brought you in today, young man?”

“I need to rebuild my lower unit. I’m afraid water got in the gear case, and the gears seem to have rusted out and been ground down,” Hajime said with a frown. Then he glanced at Tooru’s injured hand, which was tucked away in his pocket. “I also need to borrow your first aid kid.”

Mr. Irihata gave a low whistle. “Whew, that’s a shame. It’ll cost you an arm and a leg to fix that, if not more. Let’s go to the office and look through what parts you're going to need. The first aid kit is back there, too.”

With that, Mr. Irihata led Hajime and Tooru towards a small office in the back of the shop. Inside of it was a desk and a few chairs. Mr. Irihata went to sit down behind the desk and pulled out a little box that was presumably a first aid kit. Meanwhile, Hajime and Tooru went to sit together on the other side of the desk. Mr. Irihata handed the first aid kit to Hajime and then started sorting through some books on a shelf. 

Hajime opened up the first aid kit and got out some supplies to clean and bandage Tooru’s cut. He was careful as he dabbed an alcohol wipe over the small cut, but it still stung. Tooru bit his lip and flinched as Hajime continued to clean it and then moved on to bandaging it. 

“Almost done,” Hajime said as he started to wrap a bandage around Tooru’s hand with deliberate tenderness. 

Tooru almost said ‘thank you’ out loud. But he couldn’t talk in front of Mr Irahata, so he squeezed Hajime’s wrist with his uninjured hand as a way of showing appreciation. Hajime nodded as if he understood. 

“This is the make and model of your boat, isn’t it?” Mr. Irihata asked as he held up a book that had a picture of a boat similar to Hajime’s on the front. 

Hajime nodded. “That’s right.”

“Alright, then,” Mr. Irahata said as he pulled his glasses off the top of his head and put them on his face so that he could read the small print. “Let’s make a list of what you’ll be needing.”

The next sixty minutes went by slowly for Tooru. It was mostly just Mr. Irihata and Hajime having a discussion about which parts would be needed and what prices would be preferable. And apparently Hajime’s boat once belonged to his father; it was such an old model that many of the parts would need to be ordered from elsewhere and shipped to the boat shop, which would take a week or two. Tooru didn’t understand most of what they were saying, so he ended up playing with a slinky that had been sitting on the desk. He made it go back and forth between his hands over and over again. He had only seen one once before, but this one was larger. It was an odd little thing in his opinion. But it was good entertainment compared to sitting idly and listening to boat talk. 

Once all of that boring stuff was finished, Mr. Irihata walked Hajime and Tooru back to the front of the store. When they got to the door, Mr. Irihata reached over and pulled Hajime into a hug, which made Tooru instinctively step back to provide more clearance between himself and the old man. He didn’t want to be touched accidentally. 

“I’ll give you a call when the parts come in,” Mr. Irihata said once he finally let go of Hajime. “It was good to see you, young man. Don’t be a stranger. And it was nice to meet you,” he said as he nodded towards Tooru.

Tooru almost replied with a polite farewell, but stopped himself by biting the insides of his cheeks. Instead he nodded politely in return. 

As they left the boat shop, Tooru let out a long sigh. “Gods. I’ve never gone that long without talking before.”

“What a trial for you,” Hajime said with a slightly teasing grin. 

Tooru replied with a playful toss of his hair. “I’m willing to make sacrifices for you, even if I do lose my mind from boredom along the way.”

Hajime chuckled and rolled his eyes. “I told you it wouldn’t be exciting for you. But you wanted to come anyway.”

“Yes, and our date isn’t over yet. You said you’d show me around,” Tooru said as they reached the sidewalk. 

Hajime paused before he replied. “Yeah, if that’s what you want to do. But we could always go do something else. Maybe somewhere that doesn’t put you at risk.”

“I want to follow through with what we planned on doing,” Tooru said as he gave a playful smirk. “But I think it’s sweet that you’re worried about me.”

With a slight blush, Hajime shrugged his shoulder and glanced away. “I mean, I don’t want you to get hit with a curse or whatever. I was sure you were going to talk to Mr. Irihata back there as we were leaving. I almost tackled you to shut you up.”

Tooru reached over and wrapped his arms around Hajime’s shoulders. “I’ll be okay, Hajime. I just want to look around a little bit. We don’t have to talk to anyone else while we’re here.”

“It’s not that simple in this town,” Hajime said with a sigh as he squeezed Tooru for a moment and then stepped out of the hug, then reached for Tooru’s hand instead. “Everyone knows everyone here. So even just walking down the street invites conversation, as you’ve already seen.”

Tooru frowned slightly. “Well… I’ll be careful not to talk to anyone. I’ve managed it so far.”

“Alright,” Hajime said as he started walking and pulling Tooru along. “Just stay close to me.”

They walked along up the street and then turned onto one that was filled with lots of little businesses. There was a barber shop with a large pair of scissors hanging down from the sign, and next to it was a small pet shop. Tooru stopped to look into the window of the pet shop. He’d never seen so many different land animals in one place, and there was a strong odor coming from inside whenever someone opened the door to the building. 

Tooru wrinkled his nose. “What’s that smell?”

“Hamster bedding,” Hajime said. “My friend Kou had a hamster as a kid, and its cage stank up his whole bedroom.”

“Interesting, and gross.” Tooru turned to keep walking while being careful to avoid bumping into strangers. Meanwhile, Hajime walked along beside him and guided him away from people who were walking carelessly.

They came to the end of the street where a small thrift store was located. And in the window was something that caught Tooru’s eye. It was a model of a ship that looked exactly like one he had seen before; the one he had boarded to help with a rescue when he was younger. Seeing it made his heart rate pick up uncomfortably as he remembered the man he hadn't been able to save back then. It seemed like he couldn’t escape things that made him think of his greatest failure. 

“Did you want to look around in there?” Hajime asked as he rested his hand on Tooru’s back. 

Tooru shook his head as he continued to stare at the model ship. “No, that’s okay.”

Hajime seemed to notice the model ship that had caught Tooru’s attention. He stared at it for a long moment, then looked back at Tooru. “Want to keep going through town?”

There was a sudden pleasant aroma that hit Tooru just then; it was enough to finally pull his attention away from the thrift shop. “I really want some of whatever I’m smelling right now.”

Hajime sniffed at the air and then grinned. “Ah, that’s fresh bread. There’s a little bakery up the next street.”

“Can we get some?” Tooru asked as he gave Hajime a hopeful look. He didn’t often get to have human foods, especially not when it was freshly prepared by someone who was good at making it. No one at the lighthouse was a particularly good cook; none of them were terrible, though.

“Sure,” Hajime said with a shrug. “It’s been a while since I’ve stopped in there.”

Tooru was excited as he and Hajime walked around the corner and continued on up the sidewalk. He had never had fresh bread before, only had the packaged white bread that Satori sometimes brought home for when they were having human food instead of sashimi. The delicious smell was even stronger when they reached the bakery. It was like a wave of it washed over him, and his mouth was watering already. 

But when they walked inside the bakery, Tooru immediately felt his heart rate shoot up from anxiety. The room was totally crowded; it would be hard to avoid touching people. He’d never felt so caged in and uncomfortable before. And Hajime seemed to realize the problem immediately as well, because he turned and whispered to Tooru. 

“Go wait on the bench outside. I’ll get some bread and bring it out to you.”

Tooru nodded as he turned and slipped back out the door. There was a bench outside the bakery which was deserted, so he went to sit on it and hoped that no one would approach him. It was a good place to watch people from behind his sunglasses. But every now and again, it seemed like someone was about to sit with him or speak to him. So he crossed his arms and kept a frown on his face so that he didn’t seem friendly. No one ended up approaching him, though he had gotten a generous amount of curious stares. 

He took his hat off for a moment and ran his fingers through his hair before putting it back on. The sun was shining down on him and he was starting to feel warm, especially because his shirt was long sleeved and his pants were a thick material. He waited out there on the bench for about five minutes while wishing he had a fan. He never got cold since he was a creature of the sea, but he could definitely get overheated. 

When Hajime came outside again, Tooru pulled him down onto the bench beside him. “People kept nodding at me, Hajime. And it’s warm out here.”

Hajime gave a soft chuckle as he held a small paper bag towards Tooru. “I told you earlier that people are friendly here. And they would have even talked to you if you didn’t have the hat and sunglasses on. They probably thought you were Satori, and no one talks to him. Everyone thinks he’s got a few screws loose.”

Tooru sighed as he took the paper bag from Hajime and held it against his chest gently. “Tori’s a little odd sometimes, but he’s a good guy. And he really plays it up when he’s here so that no humans approach him.”

“I know. I realize that now,” Hajime said as he glanced at Tooru. “I got you milk bread, by the way. I hope you like it.”

“Oh, right.” Tooru had almost forgotten about the reason for Hajime going into the bakery. As he opened the paper bag and pulled out a small loaf of milk bread, he sniffed it. The smell was absolutely delicious. He tore off a piece and popped it into his mouth, then closed his eyes and let out a quiet moan. The bread was soft, slightly sweet, and almost melted in his mouth. It seemed like the best thing he had ever eaten. 

Hajime reached over and tore a piece off of the loaf. “This was my dad’s favorite bread.”

Tooru opened his eyes and looked at Hajime as he got himself another piece of bread. He chewed on it with a smile and then relaxed against the back of the bench while leaning into Hajime’s side. “Your dad had good taste. I think this is my favorite bread, too.”

“Have you even tried many kinds of bread? I thought you said you mostly eat fish,” Hajime replied as he tore off another piece of the bread to eat. 

Tooru didn’t reply right away because he’d put another big bite of bread in his mouth. The loaf was only the side of two fists, so it wasn’t going to last long. “I’ve only had one other kind of bread. When we have human foods, we usually have soups with white bread, fruits and other easy things. None of us knows that much about cooking.”

“Well then, I have a ton of different foods to introduce you to,” Hajime said with a grin. “Should we get more milk bread and bring it back to the lighthouse for the others?”

Tooru nodded. “Yes, let’s do that. I’m sure they’d love to try it. And maybe you’ll win Toshi over by bringing him food offerings. Though I think he’s going to warm up to you as he spends more time around you.”

“If I’m trying to win favor, I’ll get some other kinds of stuff too,” Hajime said with a playful wink as he stood up. “Be right back.”

Tooru waited on the bench for another five minutes and ended up taking his hat off to fan himself. When Hajime came back out of the bakery, he had a large paper bag filled with good smelling things. It reminded Tooru that it was almost lunch time; his appetite had been whetted by the small loaf of bread that he and Hajime had already shared.

“The others are going to be so excited when we show up with all this,” Tooru said as he stood up and looped his arm around Hajime’s. 

Hajime grinned. “Will it win me some points?”

“Definitely,” Tooru said very quietly, since someone was passing them on the sidewalk. “You should see if your two friends want to come over for lunch at the lighthouse.”

“I think it’s best to just leave them to their tide pool exploring for now,” Hajime replied. “They were excited about going out there.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost two in the morning and I had the motivation to work on this right when I was trying to lay down earlier. So here I am with this offering of a chapter.

It was way too bright in the bedroom that Koutarou used when staying at Hajime’s house, and that was thanks to the strong light filtering in through the window. It was almost never so sunny around Skyway. And that was because the Karasuno gods so rarely left their nearby dwelling, as they had for the meeting of the gods that was currently happening. Although the townspeople had no idea that their weather normally rested on the moods of those quarrelsome gods. But the unusually warm day would be perfect for the plans that Koutarou and Tetsurou had made the previous evening. The tide pools were filled with freezing water, so a little sunshine would help take the brisk edge off of exploring them. 

It was almost ten o’clock when Koutarou finally woke up. He sat up with a groan and rubbed a hand over his face, then slipped out from under the heavy layers of blankets and put his feet on the cool hardwood floor. He stretched his arms over his head and yawned as he tried to force himself into being fully awake; he was exhausted and could have stayed in bed all day. He and Tetsurou had stayed up playing video games the night before despite their intention to go to the tide pools first thing in the morning. But it would be first thing before noon at this rate.

It took a lot of willpower for Koutarou to resist falling back into bed. It was soft, warm, and had several normal sized pillows as well a body pillow; he liked to be fully surrounded when he slept, as if he was in a little nest. And those pillows were practically begging him to come back and cuddle up with them. But his excitement about the tide pools kept him from giving in. He started tapping his feet and flexing his leg muscles to get some blood flowing as he smacked at his face with his hands.

After a couple more moments, he finally stood up and shuffled over to the bathroom connected to his bedroom. He had to step over some piles of clothes since he had unpacked his luggage the night before without putting things away. He had dumped out all of the contents of his luggage so that he could sort through it, and then never got back around to doing that before going to bed. It’s not like he kept the room that tidy in the first place. But he had a system, and generally knew where things were despite the apparent disorganization. His desk was piled high with notebooks and loose papers, but each pile had a specific category. And his closet was filled with unlabeled boxes and storage containers. But he knew what was in them by the shape and weight of them. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it worked for him. Almost everything he owned was in his bedroom at Hajime’s house. He had been gradually moving in a little bit more each summer for the past four years, and the same was true for Tetsurou. 

After he splashed water on his face and relieved himself, he went and sniffed through a couple different piles of clothes to find something relatively clean that would be comfortable to work out in. He exercised religiously; there were few things he enjoyed more than the feeling of working up a good sweat. And he also got Tetsurou to work out with him most of the time. They had both been athletes in high school, and the habits from those days had stuck with them. Daichi and Hajime had done sports with them as well for a couple years before Koutarou and Tetsurou had graduated. And they all still played some friendly beach volleyball games when the mood struck them. 

Once dressed in just a pair of shorts, Kouarou threw together an outfit for going to the tide pools and tossed it onto his unmade bed so that it would be easier to find later. Then he decided to start some laundry while it was still on his mind. So he grabbed an armful of clothes from the nearest pile and brought them out to the kitchen. He walked over to the corner where the washing machine was and loaded the clothes into it haphazardly, then measured some detergent by eye and added it in. Once the washing machine was started, he went to Tetsurou’s bedroom door, which was the one closest to the kitchen. He and Tetsurou’s bedrooms were next to each other on one side of the house, whereas Hajime and Daichi’s bedrooms were on the other side of the house; the large open living space separated the two sets of bedrooms.

Koutarou knocked on Tetsurou’s bedroom door and waited for a few moments to be polite, then barged in when there was no reply. Tetsurou was buried under his blankets while sound asleep. And his head was shoved between two pillows, as it always was when he slept. He had been doing that since he was a young child. It was unclear whether that habit was from having a loud family while growing up, or just because he liked the feeling of it. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead!” Koutarou yelled as he unceremoniously ripped the blankets off the bed and wrapped them around himself instead.

The chill of the room hit Tetsurou, who was in just a pair of boxers. He groaned and reached around for the blankets that had been stolen. When he couldn’t find them, he curled up into a tight ball. And he immediately went to squeeze the two pillows surrounding his head with his arms to protect them from being torn away. This wasn’t the first time, nor would it be the last, that Koutarou woke him in such an abrupt manner. 

“Oh no you don’t,” Koutarou said as he started poking at Tetsurou’s back with his knuckles. “It’s time to seize the day, and we’ve got a work out to do before we hit the tide pools.”

“No,” Tetsurou mumbled quietly from between his pillows; it was hard to hear him through the thick layers of fluff. “Rest day.”

“Rest day was yesterday,” Koutarou replied as he started to shake Tetsurou by the shoulder. “Come on, Tetsu. I’ll make us a big breakfast, then we can do a quick workout, and then we’ll go hit the tide pools! The tides wait for no man!”

“I think you mean _‘time and tide wait for no man.’_ Come back when breakfast is ready,” Tetsurou replied sleepily as he shivered against himself. 

Koutarou continued to persistently poke at and shake Tetsurou; it did little to phase his sleep deprived friend, who seemed so determined to catch a bit more shut eye. “How late did you stay up after me?”

“Too late,” Tetsurou replied from between his two pillows. 

Koutarou sighed as he stopped messing with Tetsurou’s body. “You have until I’m done making food, then I’m getting you up no matter what,” he said as he threw the blankets back over Tetsurou. 

Tetsurou’s reply was a muffled grunt as he cuddled back into his blankets. 

Koutarou shook his head and clicked his tongue playfully as he left the room. He made his way to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast as he mentally plotted out ways to fully wake Tetsurou. He would lift him up out of bed and stick him in the shower if necessary. They were going to the tide pools together, no matter what. 

Tetsurou was usually better about his sleep schedule, but he had been really excited about the ideas he’d had for his video game. While writing them all down he had probably failed to realize how much time had passed. Though it was good that he was so enthusiastic about his game, even if that meant sacrificing some sleep here and there. He could finally do what he wanted to do now that he had graduated from college. And he was going to stay with Hajime for the foreseeable future, which was necessary since he wasn’t making money yet and wasn’t welcome to return to his family home.

Tetsurou's dad and grandfather had both been very disappointed in him for choosing to pursue a career in video game development; they had wanted him to become a sailor, as all the men in his family had been for as long as anyone could remember. In fact, a significant amount of the townspeople of Skyway worked in fishing, canning, or something of that nature. It wasn’t known as a fishing town for nothing. But Tetsurou’s deepest interest had been video games. He had always found time for them in high school even though he played sports and got good grades. They were just a way to relax at first, though they eventually became his favorite pastime; one he was very passionate about. 

But when it came to passion, no one could beat Koutarou. He lived and breathed in a way that was full of force and all encompassing focus. Whatever became the object of that focus was all he could think about. And sometimes it was a handful of things at once; currently he loved everything about the ocean, everything about mythology, and everything about owls. 

He’d loved owls since he was just a baby. And that was probably because they were the official animal of the shrine that his family cared for; it was a shrine for the Fukurodani gods, which were said to be the wisest of the gods according to some legends. And there were actually several families of owls that lived in the forested area surrounding the shrine. They had supposedly been there as long as the shrine itself, and it was said to be a sign of good fortune when the owls laid eggs more than once a year. This had been one of those years according to the recent text Koutarou had received from one of his sisters.

His love for the ocean had come later on when he had just started school for the first time. He struggled with his behavior and got in trouble more often than not, so he’d stop at the tide pools before going home to cheer himself up. That became part of his daily routine. It made him happy to see the little fish, the scuttling crabs, the brightly colored sea stars and the other various animals that lived there. He used to pretend he was one of those animals too. And he’d talk to them as if they could understand him; he thought of them as friends, and he was looking forward to seeing which of his little sea buddies would be out at the tide pools that day.

As for his interest in mythology, that had probably sprouted quietly at a young age since his family passed down many stories about different creatures that were created by the will of the gods. But it became an obsession after he was saved by the mysterious man four years ago. And that’s how he eventually came to learn about ningyo. For some reason, he just really felt like that was the right kind of creature. The lore he’d read about ningyo may not have been accurate when compared to the brief interaction he’d had with his mysterious rescuer, but he was a man who always trusted his intuition. And his intuition told him that the man that had saved him was a ningyo, and that he would see again someday. 

As Koutarou started to prepare a breakfast of leftover rice and soup along with some fried eggs, he looked out the kitchen window frequently and smiled. He loved the view of the sea from Hajime’s house. He had always enjoyed spending time looking out the back window whenever he, Daichi and Tetsurou came to sleep over at Hajime’s house starting in middle school, which was a frequent occurrence. And he’d been lucky enough to be there a few times during storms. Koutarou, Hajime, Daichi and Tetsurou would watch the lightning flash across the sky, and they were occasionally joined by Hajime’s father when he was around; Koutarou had only met Hajime’s father a handful of times before the man passed away. But he had gotten to know Hajime’s grandparents well, and had always loved being at Hajime’s house; it was an easygoing place to be, where love and acceptance were given freely. 

It was the opposite at his own home, where there were countless customs, rituals and expectations. His family lived in a small house behind the Fukurodani shrine. The home was old, but not as old as the shrine itself. The shrine was said to be over twelve hundred years old. And there was a lot of careful maintenance that went into preserving it; that was something expected of all the Bokuto family members, as it had been under their care for most of its existence. And Koutarou was expected to continue on with that caretaking. But he had started fighting with his family a lot during high school because he didn’t want to be part of caring for the shrine. He wanted to live his own life without having to bear the expectations of tradition and custom. And more importantly, he wanted to make some contributions to preserving the health of the ocean and the creatures within it. 

Despite his feelings, his parents had wanted him to care for the shrine immediately after high school. It was expected of him particularly as the only son. He’d be the one to carry on the family name, and they wanted it to stay within their lineage. However, Koutarou had two older sisters. And both were willing to care for the shrine. Not only that, but they could always have their significant other take their name if they were to marry. So he really didn’t get what the big deal was. The family name would be passed on, and there would be caretakers for the shrine. The problem was solved easily enough. Eventually, he hoped his parents would come around to see it that way too. 

As Koutarou finished cooking the eggs and went to bring all the food to the table, Tetsurou finally came out of his bedroom. He was dressed in a sleeveless shirt and some sweatpants, which was what he usually worked out in. 

“Look at you getting up before I had to come steal your blankets again!” Koutarou’s loud voice filled the room, which was slightly echoey due to how large and open it was. “Ready for an intense workout and an even more intense adventure at the tide pools?”

“I will be after coffee,” Tetsurou said as he slowly shuffled into the kitchen while running his hands through his hair; that lazy ruffling was the most grooming his hair ever got, yet it somehow remained decent looking.

Koutarou started eating as he watched Tetsurou grind up coffee beans, fill the tea kettle and set the water to boil on the stove. “Did you make a lot of progress on your game?”

“Tons of progress, as far as ideas go. I don’t have a solid storyline or anything yet,” Tetsurou replied as he leaned on the counter and waited for the water to boil. His mouth automatically fell into his crooked grin as he went on speaking. “But I have a really nice poster board with like, fifty thought bubbles on it.”

“It’ll come to you. You’ve got that whole leaky brain thing going on,” Koutarou said with a mouthful of egg as he gestured at his own head as if he were trying to communicate that water was spouting out of it.

“Leaky brain thing? Gods, Kou. You make it sound like I’ve got a brain bleed or something,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle as he cracked his knuckles and rolled his head around to stretch his neck. 

“You know what I mean. Creative brain stuff that builds up and leaks out unless you pour it into something,” replied Koutarou. He’d already finished his eggs and was moving on to his rice. 

Tetsurou let out a weary sigh. “Yeah, that sounds about right. But it doesn’t help to pour it into something when it comes out so messy.”

“A mess always comes before a masterpiece,” Koutarou said in a voice that made him seem wise and well learned. Then he shoveled the rest of his rice into his mouth in a hurried and messy way that almost cancelled out the sophistication of his words.

Tetsurou hummed thoughtfully as he picked up the french press filled with coffee grounds and brought it under his nose to smell it, as if the aroma of it might help wake him up. “That’s actually kind of encouraging. Thanks, Kou.”

Koutarou nodded as he went to drink his soup down. At this rate, he was going to be ready to go before Tetsurou. But that just meant he’d have time for more exercise. And that was fine by him. His well defined muscles were thanks to his daily efforts, and he took a certain amount of pride in them. He wanted to have the type of strength that could help him easily carry his friends out of a burning house fire, if ever that was needed.

The tea kettle started making the annoying sound that meant the water was boiling, so Tetsurou went to pour it over the coffee grounds in the french press. Then he left it to brew while he went to sit down at the table to eat his food. “Thanks for cooking,” he said as he watched Koutarou get up with his dirty dishes and head to the sink. 

“I should thank you since it was you who made the soup,” Koutarou said with a wink. Then he gave a playful smile as he thought of Hajime’s grandmother. “Although, if I’m being honest, your soup doesn’t quite measure up to Gran’s.”

“Hey, that woman could cook a shoe and make it taste good,” Tetsurou replied as he started in on his breakfast. He took a few bites before he spoke again. “And she only showed me how to make that soup once, so it’s a miracle that I remembered how to do it at all. I wonder if she ever wrote down any of her recipes.”

“We should ask Hajime,” Koutarou replied as he went to wash his dishes in the sink. “But he and Daichi are both gone already.”

Tetsurou smirked at that as he poked at his breakfast. “Ah, of course. Daichi has his date and Hajime has his boat to look after.”

“And we’ve got the tide pools waiting,” Koutarou said as he finished rinsing his dishes and set them in the drying rack beside the sink. Then he walked over the open space next to the kitchen and started doing squats. “But exercise comes before that.”

Tetsurou leisurely finished his breakfast. After a couple minutes, he went to rinse his dishes off in the sink and then poured himself a cup of coffee. He sipped on it while watching Koutarou doing his squats. “You’re killing it, dude. Bake those buns!”

“Hurry up and drink your coffee so you can do some too. I’d rather work out together,” Koutarou said as he continued to do his squats.

Tetsurou had taken a moment to smell his coffee before replying. “I enjoy exercise as much as the next guy, but can’t we take a week off as a reward for finishing college?”

“You can if you want,” Koutarou said as he finished with squats and started doing push ups. “But I need it to have my best focus. And I want to take in everything about the tide pools without getting distracted.”

“You’ve seen them a million times,” Tetsurou said with a teasing grin. He sipped his coffee as he watched Koutarou doing push ups, as well as a few different variations of them. “What are you hoping to find there that you haven’t already memorized?”

Koutarou did a few more push ups and then started planking; his voice came out slightly strained. “Are you kidding me? It’s been almost a year since I’ve been there! Do you know how much things change in a year?”

“It always looks the same to me,” Tetsurou replied as he blew on his steaming coffee and then went to drink more of it. 

“Only if your eyes are unskilled,” Koutarou said as he moved from planking to doing burpees. 

Tetsurou gave an amused chuckle because Koutarou habitually misquoted things. “The expression is actually ‘ _only to the untrained eye,’_ you know.”

“Same thing,” Koutarou said with a gasp as he continued to do burpees, and then moved on to doing crunches. 

Meanwhile, Tetrusou poured another cup of coffee and brought it over to the long bookshelf that was on the wall between Hajime and Daichi’s bedroom doors. Most of the shelves were full of books; all kinds of books, since Hajime’s grandmother was a well read woman. But on one of the shelves were a few small pictures of Hajime’s mom, Hajime’s grandparents, and Hajime’s dad. Tetsurou nodded at the pictures with a sad smile as he set the coffee in front of the one that had Hajime’s grandfather in it; the old man had introduced him to coffee in the first place, and had always had a cup with breakfast. 

“Sorry I forgot to say hello to you all last night. But I’m home now,” Tetsurou said in a soft voice. 

Koutarou stopped his exercise to come over and look at the pictures as well. “Isn’t it the anniversary of Mr. Iwaizumi and Gran’s death in just a few days?”

“Oh yeah, it is,” Tetsurou said as he picked up the picture of Hajime’s grandmother so that he could see it better; it had been a weird coincidence that Hajime’s father and grandmother shared the same date of death, though separated by a few years. "We'll get to go along to do the gravesite visit this time. I’m bummed that we missed it last year.”

“Wasn’t our fault that our flight got canceled due to the weather,” Koutarou said with a pout. “That was the first one we missed since Gran and Gramps died. I’ll have to bring some fresh flowers to make up for it. Those ones that they both liked.”

Tetsurou nodded in agreement as he sipped his coffee, which was already half gone. He stayed by the bookshelf to finish it while looking at the pictures of Hajime’s family. They had been so important to both him and Koutarou; it had been like losing their own grandparents when they had passed away. 

Meanwhile, Koutarou started doing jumping jacks. “I want to run some laps around the porch when you’re done with your coffee. Bet you that I’ll finish twenty laps faster than you can!”

“What are we betting?” Tetsurou asked as he walked over to the sink. He downed the last bit of his coffee and washed his mug out after. 

Koutarou paused his movements as he thought about it. “Loser has to carry the winner all the way to the tide pools.”

“The tide pools are a twenty minute walk from here,” Tetsurou said with a confident grin. “You’re going to be really sore after carrying me there.”

“You mean _you’re_ going to be sore after carrying _me_ there,” Koutarou quipped as he went to the front door to put his shoes on. “Come on, let’s go settle this!”

Tetsurou patted his belly with a frown. “You want me to do it now? With my stomach full of food and coffee?”

“Race starts in ten seconds,” Koutarou said as he stepped out the front door. 

“Wait, I’m coming!” Tetsurou said as he hurried to get his shoes on.

Before long, the two of them were racing around the porch while yelling and trying to slow each other down with an occasional shove. This type of race happened regularly whenever they were at Hajime’s house, and that had been true even back in high school. It was perfect because the porch went all the way around the house and was wide enough for passing each other. Hajime’s grandparents had thought it was amusing, though Hajime’s grandmother would yell at them to quiet down if they did it while she was trying to read. 

In the end, Tetsurou won. It had been close though. 

“I want a rematch,” Koutarou said as he caught his breath and did some calf stretches on the edges of the porch steps.

Tetsurou shook his head as he rested a hand against the house and held one foot up to do a quad stretch. “No way. I won fair and square.”

“I’ve still won more times than you have,” Koutarou said as he sat down on the porch and started doing a butterfly stretch.

“You can tell yourself that if it makes you feel better,” Tetsurou said as he did some lunge stretches for a couple minutes. Then he sat down so he could stretch his hips and lower back. “Are we going to shower and then head right out?” 

“We should make some sandwiches first,” Koutarou replied as he put his legs out and then leaned forward to try to touch his toes. “I want to stay out there all day, so we’ll need a snack.”

Tetsurou chuckled as he laid on his back and did a hamstring stretch. “All the more for you to carry.”

“A couple sandwiches won’t make a difference,” Koutarou said with a pout as he moved on to a different stretch. 

After they both finished their stretching, they went into the house and headed to their rooms to shower. Koutarou dressed himself in a tank top along with shorts that had lots of pockets; that way, he could collect shells and cool rocks if he found any. And Tetsurou put on a pair of short shorts and a clean sleeveless shirt. Both men were excited about the relatively warm weather. Once they had whipped up some sandwiches and packed them into a backpack, Tetsurou added a sketch book and some pencils. He liked to sketch when at the tide pools. 

It was just past noon when they were finally ready to leave. Tetsurou put the backpack on as he and Koutarou stepped out the front door, then closed it after them and locked it with his newly acquired key; Hajime had given them each one the previous night. “I’m glad that Hajime finally gave us our own keys. Now it feels like we really live here.”

“Yeah, it feels super official now. We should do something nice for Hajime to thank him for letting us crash here,” Koutarou said as he stood on the porch steps and crossed his arms. Then he let out a long sigh. “Are you really going to make me carry you?”

“It was your idea,” Tetsurou replied as he adjusted the backpack. “Be a good boy and squat down so I can get on.”

“If I hurt my back, I’m going to complain all day,” Koutarou whined as he knelt down at the bottom of the steps. 

“And I won’t feel bad at all,” Tetsurou said as he wrapped his arms around Koutarou’s shoulders and jumped onto his back. “Now let’s go. Put these muscles of yours to good use.”

Koutarou groaned as he stood up and started walking along with Tetsurou on his back. “It’s going to take us longer to get there now.”

“You should have thought about that before you made the bet,” Tetsurou said with a smirk. “Can’t you walk any faster? I thought you were in a hurry to go see your little fish friends and crab buddies.”

Koutarou replied with a huff as he walked along with Tetsurou clinging to his back. 

It ended up taking just over thirty minutes to get to the tide pools, instead of the usual twenty. The tide pools were made up of one huge shallow cove that had countless rocks throughout it. Some rocks were tall with tops that couldn’t be sat on comfortably, some rocks were short and flat, and other rocks were sharp and jagged. But there was one rock in particular that both Tetsurou and Koutarou always went to first. It was a very tall rock with a flat top. It was located at the mouth of the tide pools and took some climbing to get to; it was perfect for looking down at the tide pools or watching the waves come in from the ocean. 

But there were two men sitting on that rock. Two men who each held an umbrella, and they were looking out towards the waves. They hadn’t seemed to notice that Tetsurou and Koutarou had come to the tide pools; their umbrellas blocked their view and they were out of earshot. After Tetsurou dropped down off of Koutarou’s back, they both stared up at their favorite rock with matching expressions of curiosity and surprise. They almost always had the tide pools to themselves at this time of day. 

“Who do you think those guys are?” Tetsurou asked as he shielded his eyes from the sun with one hand. 

Koutarou slumped his shoulders in disappointment. He always went to sit on that rock first, it was his special thing. He really liked the view from there. “I don’t know, but they’re sitting on our rock.”

“Well it’s not our rock, technically,” Tetsurou replied as he put his hands on the straps of his backpack. “They have just as much right to sit on it. We can just climb up there when we want to eat our lunch later. They’ll probably be gone by then.”

With a resigned sigh, Koutarou nodded. “Alright. I’m going to go check out my little crab buddies and see how many there are now.”

“Have fun with that,” Tetsurou said as he went over to find a flat rock to sit on. “I’m going to go sketch some sea stars.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'm going to sleep now. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll work on getting the next one finished up soon. You won't have to wait for KuroKen and BokuAka much longer. ^_^


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting chapters at midnight is the usual now. 
> 
> I spent many hours on this chapter yesterday and today because I trashed the draft and wrote it quite differently. Hopefully that was the right choice. I'll lay awake for a while and wonder about it now lol.

Keiji and Kenma had been sitting on a tall rock at the mouth of the tide pools for hours. They ended up staying a lot longer than they had intended; it was just so easy to get lost in thought while watching the waves. And they hadn’t talked very much while they were there. But their friendship was one built on comfortable silences and the mutual ability to zone out unexpectedly for indeterminate amounts of time. 

They had both been reserved children. And they had known each other for longer than they had known the rest of their guild members. Their parents had been close friends, and so they had been destined to be friends as well. Luckily, they were quite compatible for that destiny. They spent most of their time together when growing up. Though they had met most of the lighthouse guild members when they were still young children, so they were close with them as well.

They had been six years old when they met Tooru and Koushi, both of whom were a year older than them. And they had met Satori around that same time; he was two years older than them. Then there was Wakatoshi, who had only been introduced to them the previous year when they were eighteen and he was twenty-one. It wasn’t clear why Wakatoshi had come to join a lighthouse guild where he didn’t know anyone, especially considering the fact that no one in the house of Ushijima had ever willingly chosen to be a Protector. Although Kenma could probably give an accurate guess if he ever felt like putting some effort into it. But it had worked out well regardless of Wakatoshi’s original intentions. Keiji liked the atmosphere at the lighthouse and felt it would be a good place to spend the next hundred years working to gather knowledge. 

He was thinking about various ways to gather that knowledge as he sat under the shade of his umbrella. But he was starting to get distracted by how warm he was feeling; he was glad to be wearing shorts and a thin shirt because of the unusually hot weather. And he was grateful to have the umbrella to keep the direct sunlight off of his body. Otherwise, his skin would have already become quite dry and tender from several hours of sitting right under the sun. Not only were ningyo sensitive to prolonged sunlight, but they also needed to be submerged in water regularly. Once a day in cool weather, and at least three times a day when the weather was this warm. 

“It’s been so sunny since the gods left for their meeting,” Keiji said as he glanced at Kenma. “And I can’t say that I’m enjoying it.”

“Yeah, it’s way too hot out here.” Kenma was huddled under his umbrella with his feet pressed together so that none of the sun rays would reach him, though he was already well protected thanks to his hoodie and sweatpants. But the shade from the umbrella was blocking some of the heat; he was probably thankful that he’d brought one now, not that he’d ever admit that out loud. “I’m looking forward to the clouds and rain coming back whenever the Karasuno gods return.”

“We should go for a swim,” Keiji suggested as he tucked his knees against his chest. 

Kenma nodded in agreement as he wiggled his toes against each other. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

“We could go soak in one of the tide pools before the tide comes back in,” Keiji said as he went to close his umbrella. But then he heard an excited screech coming from nearby. When he turned to look, he let out an audible gasp. There were two human men down below. One was sitting on a rock with a sketchpad and a pencil, and the other was squatting next to the tide pools while yelling out as he poked at something in the water. It was the same two men Keiji had saved four years ago, and he had no idea how long they had been there.

“Kenma,” Keiji whispered as he reached for his friend’s arm. “Look.”

Kenma was just about to close his umbrella. Instead, he turned to glance in the direction that Keiji was looking, then immediately glowed red as he went into camouflage. But it wasn’t going to do much to hide him since his hoodie and sweatpants were still visible. Not to mention that he still held the umbrella. “When did those humans get there?”

“You’re asking me? You're the one who’s supposed to notice things like that,” Keiji replied in a hushed tone as he continued to watch the human men. 

“How would I notice something when I’m not facing that direction? I don’t have radar,” Kenma replied dryly. Then he let out a quiet hum, and it was likely he had been studying Keiji’s face at that moment. “Based on your reaction and the weird hair color on that one guy, I guess it’s safe to assume that those are the humans you saved.”

Keiji was so surprised to see the two men that he was completely overwhelmed. Though he’d been hoping that he’d see them there, of course. During his and Kenma’s previous summer visits, he’d go to the tide pools at least once in hopes of running into the two men by chance. Yet he never saw either of the men there, and he didn’t actually think he was going to get the opportunity after four long years. But now here they were. And right when he was least expecting it. 

“What should I do?”

“I’m not sure. You’ll figure it out though,” Kenma said as he went to stand up, which was only apparent thanks to the movement of his clothes; he kept his camouflage on. “I’m going home.”

“No, don’t leave me here,” Keiji said as he gripped Kenma’s sleeve to keep him seated.

Kenma sighed. “Well then, you can come home with me if you want. But haven’t you been waiting for this to happen?”

“Go with me to talk to him,” Keiji said as he turned to look at Kenma, though he couldn’t actually see his face. “This is a great opportunity to get over your worries about being around humans.”

“I was around humans last night, remember? When Hajime and Daichi were over at the lighthouse for _hours_ after we got home,” Kenma said, and it was almost a guarantee that he was scrunching his face up in irritation. “Just go introduce yourself to him or something. You’re acting like you’re scared of talking to that guy even though you’ve been waiting for this for years.”

“I’m not scared. But his friend is with him. Or his boyfriend, maybe,” Keiji said quietly. “And you didn’t even let Hajime and Daichi see you, so that hardly counts.”

“I had more than enough exposure without actually talking to them.” Kenma said. Then he let out a quiet huff. “You’re being weird. Weirder than usual.”

Keiji gave Kenma a serious look; or at least, he gave a serious look to where Kenma’s face would be if he could see it. “I could use your support right now.”

“You’re my best friend, Keiji. I want you to take this opportunity now that it’s been shoved right onto your lap,” Kenma replied in a voice that was both sympathetic and firm. “But don’t ask me to go talk to those guys.”

“I’m not asking you to talk. Just be there with me while I talk,” Keiji said as his pupils glowed gold; his mind raced to come up with a bribe. He really didn’t want to talk to the two human men alone and he needed a way to convince Kenma to come with him. And then an idea came to him. “If you come with me, I’ll use my ration of money for this month to help you buy a new game.”

Each month the ningyo of their guild got a certain amount of spending money which was collected from shrines. All shrines had a tradition to leave a small box of money on a special altar each month as an offering to the gods. And that money was collected by Satori, or Wakatoshi in the form of an animal. But it wasn’t a large amount. Especially not when it was split between the six members of their guild. 

“Deal. But I’m staying in my camouflage,” Kenma replied after a long moment.

Keiji closed his eyes, then breathed in and out slowly before opening them again. “If you don’t let them see you, I’ll still seem like I’m alone when I go talk to him.”

“You’ll know I’m there though,” Kenma said plainly. “Do you want me to stay or not?”

“Fine,” Keiji said with a sigh of resignation. Kenma was his closest friend; being able to have him there would make this situation a lot easier even if he wasn’t actually visible. 

Kenma stood up and stripped out of his clothes, making his location impossible to determine. He handed his clothes and umbrella to Keiji while he spoke. “I’ll be right behind you the whole time.”

Keiji went to stand up and tucked the two umbrellas under one arm, along with Kenma’s clothes, so that it would be easier to get down from the rock. His stomach was twisting up nervously as he made the climb down, and Kenma was probably right beside him. He thought this really would be good for Kenma even if he wasn’t actually interacting with either of the men; he needed experience being around different humans so that he could rescue them more easily when it was needed. At least that’s what Keiji kept telling himself to feel better about bribing Kenma into coming along.

Once they had climbed down to the bottom of the tall rock, they made their way across the tide pools; Keiji kept their umbrellas folded for the time being, though they would need to get wet soon if they were going to stay in the direct sunlight with the steadily warming temperature. Keiji could feel himself overheating a bit and it wasn’t entirely due to the fact that he was nervous. So he waded through some shallow pockets of water to cool his legs off as he made his way across the tide pools. And he could hear Kenma splashing around in the water beside him as well. 

The tide pools were filled with small fish, sea stars, anemone, crabs, and other small creatures. Keiji had to be careful not to step on any of them with his bare feet. He stared down as he walked along, but his mind was elsewhere. He was getting stuck in his own head a bit as he played through how various conversations might go. 

As they walked along, Kenma occasionally tugged on the back of Keiji’s shirt to let him know he was still there. The emotional support was helpful in keeping Keiji from getting himself completely worked up and anxious. After a few minutes, they were finally standing next to the owlish haired man. And that man was completely focused on watching a group of crabs fight over a dead fish; he didn’t even seem to notice Keiji and Kenma at first. 

When almost a minute of silence passed, Keiji cleared his throat and then spoke as evenly as he could. “Those crabs are interesting, aren’t they?”

The man almost fell forward into the water, but Keiji quickly reached for his shoulder to keep him steady. Then he let go and pulled his hand back once it was clear that the man wasn’t going to fall. 

“You came out of nowhere! I wasn’t expecting anyone to talk to me just then,” the man said in a booming voice as he grinned up at Keiji.

Keiji adjusted his hold on the umbrellas and clothes in his arms while he studied the man’s face. Staring at that smile felt kind of like staring at the sun; he had to glance away as he replied. “Sorry for startling you. I was just curious about what you were so focused on.”

The man gestured to the crabs as he turned to look at them. “I was excited to see how well my little buddies are doing. There are twice as many this year than there were last year, which is great! They must be doing well.”

“You keep track of them?” Keiji asked as he looked at the group of crabs, which were picking at the fish that they were swarming around. 

“I try to. I really like the animals that live here,” the man said as he reached into the water to poke at a sea star. Once he pulled his hand back, he chuckled and then looked up at Keiji. “I haven’t seen you here before. What’s your name?”

“Keiji. What about you?”

“Koutarou. Didn’t you have a friend up there on the rock with you a few minutes ago?” Koutarou was looking up at the rock as he spoke. Then his eyes moved to where Keiji held both umbrellas and Kenma’s clothes. “Oh. Did he go swimming or something?”

“Something like that. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” Keiji said. There was a tug on the back of his shirt from Kenma at that point.

Koutarou went to stand up and gave a wide grin. “Well, it’s definitely the kind of day that makes you want to swim, isn’t it? I’ve been thinking about jumping into one of the deeper pools of water, though I’m not a great swimmer. My strength weighs me down,” he said as he dramatically flexed an arm.

At that moment, Keiji realized that Koutarou was much more muscular than he had been four year ago. He seemed like he might be a little taller too. Overall, the man looked more grown up and attractive than he had before. And his eyes were a beautiful golden color up close; they were framed with white lashes, which was sort of peculiar. Keiji hadn’t noticed those details when he had been saving Koutarou from drowing so long ago. And then he realized that he had been staring at Koutarou, and that Koutarou had been staring back at him. 

Keiji somehow managed to keep his face neutral when he finally responded. “It’s a warm day compared to usual. I was thinking of swimming as well, and I could supervise you in the water if you wanted. I’m a good swimmer.”

“Really? That would be fun! Would you mind if my friend Tetsurou comes too? He’s right over there,” Koutarou said as he pointed over to where Tetsurou was sitting. 

Keiji noted that Koutarou had called Tetsurou his friend, and some relief washed over him. He felt a little silly now for being jealous over their friendship back when he was watching them before. “That would be fine.”

Koutarou cupped his hands near his mouth and called out to Tetsurou. “Hey Tetsu, come here!”

Tetsurou looked up from where he’d been focused on his sketchpad. When he noticed that Koutarou was standing next to someone, he grinned and stood up while slipping his backpack on. He made his way over by hopping from rock to rock and was beside Koutarou within a minute. 

“Who’s this?” Tetsurou said as he nodded at Keiji. 

Koutarou stepped closer to Keiji and slung an arm over his shoulder. “This is my new friend Keiji. We’re going to go swimming together. Feel like taking a dip with us to beat the heat?”

Tetsurou glanced down at his sketchbook, which he held in one hand; it had some rough sketches and scribbled notes on the page it was opened up to. “I was brainstorming more ideas for my video game, but I guess I could take a little break.”

Keiji felt Kenma tug at the back of his shirt. He probably wanted him to ask about the video game, so he obliged. “You’re making a video game?”

Tetsurou nodded and gave an excited grin. “Yeah. It’s going to be about these mythical creatures called ningyo.”

Keiji thought he might have misheard. He didn’t think knowledge about ningyo would be common for humans. “Did you say ningyo?”

It was Koutarou who answered. “He got that idea from me. I’m the one who knows all about them!”

Keiji glanced at Koutarou, who still had an arm over his shoulder. The man was certainly friendly to new acquaintances. And Koutarou had caught Keiji off guard by claiming to be an expert on ningyo. He wanted to ask about it, but Tetsurou spoke before he was able to. 

“So are we swimming around the tide pools? Or did you want to go splash around on the shoreline?” Tetsurou asked as he put his sketchpad into his backpack.

Koutarou finally moved his arm off of Keiji as he went to strip out of his shirt, shorts, and shoes; his back and abs were as muscular as his arms. “There’s a big pool over there surrounded by rocks. We should swim around there since it’s got a shallow area and a deep area.”

Tetsurou went to pull off his clothes and shoes as well, then tucked them into his backpack. He reached a hand out towards Koutarou afterwards. “Here, I’ll hold those.”

“Thanks,” Koutarou said as he handed Tetsurou his clothes and shoes. Then he gave an impish grin. “Race you there?”

Tetsurou slid his backpack on and tightened the straps. “You’re on!”

“It probably isn’t a good idea to race there,” Keiji said as he went to unbutton his shirt and take off his shorts. But he left his boxers on since that’s what Koutarou and Tetsurou had done; he wanted to do his best to follow human customs.

Tetsurou and Koutarou didn’t heed Keiji’s warning. They ran along the rocks and splashed through shallow pools as they headed for the large body of water in the center of the tide pools. It was actually the perfect shape and depth for swimming in. There were rocks surrounding it that were pretty consistent in size, and they were large enough to provide shade in some areas. 

Keiji whispered when Koutarou and Tetsurou were out of earshot. “Are you still here, Kenma?”

“Yeah,” Kenma’s voice came from right next to Keiji. “Seems like you have things under control. Are you feeling better now?”

“Talking to them isn’t as stressful as I thought it would be. But you should stay while we swim,” Keiji said as he started to make his way towards where Tetsurou and Koutarou were now stepping into the large pool.

“I wasn’t planning on leaving,” Kenma said. “I want to hear about that video game Tetsurou mentioned.”

Keiji held Kenma’s boxers out towards where his voice had come from. “Why don’t you swim with us then? You could ask Tetsurou about it yourself.”

There was a long pause before Kenma took the boxers and then shimmered red, revealing his body. He stepped into the boxers before he followed along after Keiji. “Fine. You probably don’t know the right questions to ask, anyway.”

They reached the large pool a couple minutes later. Tetsurou and Koutarou were standing in water up to their waists and splashing at each other. Keiji left his pile of clothes and the two umbrellas next to the rock that Tetsurou had left his backpack on, then stepped into the water and sank down in it until it reached his neck. It felt good to get his whole body wet after being out in the strong sunlight all morning. 

He took a moment to look around the large tide pool. There were a lot of sea stars on the rocks just under the water, and there were little fish hiding out in the shady parts of the pool. The water was very clear since the waves were not currently disturbing the tranquility of the surface. Though Koutarou and Tetsurou were still splashing around, which was causing some ripples. 

When Keiji finally came to stand by Koutarou, Kenma was with him as well. Koutarou and Tetsurou both glanced at Kenma with curious expressions. And Kenma glanced at Koutarou briefly before settling his gaze on Tetsurou; he was likely waiting for an opportunity to bring up the video game. So Keiji decided to help him out. 

“This is my friend Kenma,” Keiji said. “I mentioned that you’re making a video game, Tetsurou. Kenma’s very interested in learning more about that.”

Tetsurou nodded at Kenma with a friendly smile. “So you like video games?”

“I like the ones I’ve played,” Kenma replied as he studied Tetsurou’s face. But he couldn’t meet Tetsurou’s gaze for long, so he suddenly dove down under the water. 

Tetsurou watched Kenma swim away to the shady part of the pool, then looked at Keiji. “Is he a bit shy?” 

“He can be sometimes,” Keiji replied as he watched Kenma sit down underwater. Then he looked over at Koutarou. “Why don’t you try swimming. I’ll give you some tips on how to improve.”

“I’ll show you what I’ve got!” Koutarou said as he dove into the water. He kicked around for a moment as he sank down to the bottom, then stood up and gasped for a breath of air. “Well, what do you think?”

Keiji tried not to smile as he replied. “I think I’ve seen babies swim better than that.”

Tetsurou snorted out a laugh. And Koutarou’s shoulders seemed to deflate as much as his hair had from getting wet; it was flat and falling into his face a bit.

“Well babies aren’t bulked up with muscles, are they? I can’t help it that I sink,” Koutarou said with a slight pout.

“Muscle mass has nothing to do with it. You’re moving around too much and it’s counterproductive,” Keiji said calmly as he made his way over to Koutarou. He stood in front of him and held a hand out towards him. “Here, I’ll show you. Put your hands out and move your body as if you’re going to fly towards me.”

Koutarou did as he was told, but went too fast and ended up face planting into the water. 

Keiji reached down and lifted Koutarou up by the chin to bring his face back above the water. “A little slower than that. I’ll pull you along once you’re on your stomach, and I want you to keep your face underwater for a few seconds.”

“Oh, okay!” Koutarou tried again and managed to float on his stomach while Keiji pulled him along by the hand. Then he brought his head up so he could breathe; he spoke as soon as he had gotten some air. “I was floating! Did you see me?”

“Yes, Koutarou. I saw,” Keiji said as he let go of Koutarou’s hand; he was taking the task of teaching Koutarou how to swim very seriously, and it was calming his nerves to have something to focus on. “I’m going to have you float on your back now.”

While Keiji continued to teach Koutarou basic swimming skills, Kenma finally swam back over and resurfaced next to Tetsurou. 

“You were down there for a long time,” Tetsurou commented as he looked at Kenma. “You can hold your breath for quite a while, can’t you?”

“I can’t actually hold my breath very long at all,” Kenma replied as he sank back down until the water covered his chest and shoulders. 

Tetsurou seemed to notice Kenma’s hair at that point. “Your hair dries _really_ fast.”

“I know,” Kenma said as he gave Tetsurou an appraising look. “Tell me about your video game.”

Tetsurou tilted his head and smiled. “You’re very direct, aren’t you? My game’s going to be about ningyo, which are these mythical creatures.”

“I know what ningyo are,” Kenma said with a slight hint of impatience. “What type of game is it going to be?”

Tetsurou chuckled. “You must be a mythology nerd, then. So it’s going to be a multiplayer adventure game. And I have tons of little details about it that I’ve come up with, but it’s still in the early stages of development.”

“Is it the first game you’ve made?” Kenma asked as he sank down into the water until it was up to his chin; his shoulder length hair floated in the water around his head, and he almost looked like a sunflower since his roots were dark and his ends were blonde.

“Yeah, it’ll be my first one,” Tetsurou said as he went to lower himself down in the water while attempting to float on his back. But he kept sinking down. 

Kenma watched Tetsurou’s weak attempt to float and then sighed as he went over to stand next to him in the water. “You have to relax your body more if you want to float.”

Tetsurou tried to relax his body, but it didn’t seem to work. So Kenma reached over to put his hands on the back of Tetsurou’s neck. “Take a deep breath and relax all your muscles, then make your body flat. I won’t let you sink.”

“I’m putting my life in your hands,” Tetsurou said with a crooked grin as he went to do as he was told.

“You can stand up here. It’s not that deep,” Kenma replied dryly. 

“Fair point,” Tetsurou said as he relaxed his body. Soon he was floating on his back, and Kenma slowly let go of him. “I think I’ve got the floating thing down now.”

“You’re a long way from being able to swim though,” Kenma said in an almost teasing tone. “So how long until the game you're making can be played?” 

Tetsurou continued to float on his back as he answered in a weary voice. “Years. It takes a long time to make a game, especially since I’m doing it by myself.”

Kenma hummed thoughtfully as he went to float on his back beside Tetsurou. “What if you had someone to help you?”

“Are you offering?” Tetsurou asked as he moved his body so that he could stand up and look at Kenma. His unruly hair had barely been tamed by the water; it had fallen flat, but it was already starting to puff back up defiantly in some places. 

After a moment, Kenma shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know how to make video games, though. I only know how to play them.”

“I could probably teach you some stuff if you actually wanted to help. At the very least, I could bounce ideas off of you. Especially if you already know a lot about ningyo mythology,” Tetsurou said with an earnest grin. 

Kenma let his body sink down until just his face was above the surface. “I know way more about ningyo than whatever mythology you humans have made up.”

“What do you mean?” Tetsurou asked as he watched Kenma’s hair fanning out in the water. “You’re making it sound like you’re not a human or something.”

“I’m not,” Kenma replied calmly as he moved to stand up; the water dripped off of his hair immediately, leaving it dry and straight.

Tetsurou grinned playfully as he ran his hands through his own hair, which was only puffing up more and more as time went on. “Oh really? What are you, then?”

“A ningyo,” Kenma said quietly. Then he dipped down into the water until it came up to just above his nose. He watched Tetsurou with his catlike eyes as if he were gauging his reaction.

“That’s a good joke,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle. “But don’t let Koutarou overhear you saying that. He’ll think you’re serious.”

“Serious about what?” Koutarou asked as he arrived next to Tetsurou with a big splash that was obviously intentional.

“We were talking about video game stuff,” Tetsurou said as he went to splash at Koutarou in return. “How’s the swimming lessons?”

“I’m already way better than I was!” Koutarou announced proudly. 

Keiji swam over and then stood between Kouarou and Kenma; the water there came up around his waist. “He still has a lot to learn though.”

“You said I was doing really good just a minute ago,” Koutarou said with a hopeful expression, as if he wanted to be praised. 

“I said you were improving,” Keiji said calmly. 

There was a sudden lull in the conversation, so Keiji started to think about topics that might be entertaining to talk about; his pupils glowed gold as he flipped through ideas in his mind. And then Koutarou was suddenly leaning into his personal space with a look that was a combination of hope and disbelief. 

“Did you… your eyes… your eyes are glowing!”

Keiji started to blush at how close Koutarou was leaning. “Yes… they do that when I’m thinking.”

“Oh my gods... oh my gods!” Koutarou suddenly spun around as if he thought he should be doing something but wasn’t sure about what that something was. Then he leaned close to Keiji again. “Did you save me four years ago?”

Keiji nodded wordlessly. He hadn’t expected to be recognized, and he hadn’t actually meant to use his magic in front of Koutarou. He had wanted to wait a while to bring that up.

“I knew I’d see you again someday! I knew it!” Koutarou looked like he was going to burst from happiness. He wrapped his arms around Keiji, picked him up, and then spun him around before finally setting him back down again.

“I didn’t know if you’d remember me,” Keiji said as he stepped back and lowered himself into the water until it reached his chest. He was fighting the urge to hide his face. 

“Well, of course I do! I’d never forget you!” Koutarou said with a grin. Then he suddenly stepped forward and shoved Tetsurou. “I told you! I was right and you owe me an apology!”

Tetsurou fell over and accidentally took Kenma down with him by grabbing his wrist. They dropped into the water in a tangle of limbs. It startled Kenma, and he flashed red before going into his camouflage. They were only underwater together for a few seconds. Once Tetsurou had himself standing again, he looked at where he was holding Kenma’s wrist and seemed shocked that there was nothing there. 

“Kenma?” Tetsurou asked hesitantly as he went to feel around where Kenma’s face should be.

“I’m right here,” Kenma said as he shimmed red and then became visible again. Tetsurou’s hand was covering his face, so he reached up to move it.

Koutarou had watched Kenma’s disappearance and reappearance with an uncontrollably wide smile. Then he squealed happily before he practically yelled. “You’re both ningyo, aren’t you?! I’m so excited right now! I feel like I’m going to explode!”

“That would be unfortunate,” Keiji said absently as he watched Kenma and Tetsurou. Kenma was blushing slightly, and Tetsurou still had a hand around Kenma’s wrist. He was impressed that Kenma wasn’t making a fuss about it. 

Then Tetsurou suddenly let go of Kenma’s wrist as if he had only just realized he had still been holding it. “I feel like I just dropped into a video game or something. Wait, can I use you for my video game? I want to make a character like you.”

“I guess you can base a character off me if you want to,” Kenma said with a slightly pleased tone as he sank down into the water until it went to his chin. 

Tetsurou studied Kenma’s face for a moment. “So you’re really a ningyo?”

Koutarou answered before Kenma could as he started jumping in place, which made ripples in the water. “I knew ningyo were real! I knew it! Gods, I’m so thrilled!”

Keiji glanced at Koutarou and cleared his throat. “I’m surprised that you knew about ningyo in the first place.”

“Oh, sure! I know a lot about ningyo! Like, how you can turn people into stone!” Koutarou looked incredibly confident for someone who just gave a totally incorrect assumption.

Keiji shook his head slightly. “We can’t turn people to stone.”

“Oh,” Koutarou said with a frown. “Well, do you lure humans to their death with your good looks?”

Tetsurou and Kenma both stifled a laugh, and Keiji found himself blushing since it seemed like Koutarou was saying that he was good looking. But he shook his head once again as he corrected the misinformed man. “We do not. Otherwise it wouldn’t have made sense for me to save you, would it?”

Koutarou shrugged. “Well, I figured you couldn’t drown me in the end because you thought I was cute.”

At that point, Tetsurou did laugh. And so did Kenma. Meanwhile, Keiji just gave a small grin that was slightly sarcastic as he blushed. “I probably wouldn’t have been concerned with how you looked if I had wanted to drown you.”

Koutarou's expression fell slightly. “You must have found me at least a little bit cute since you kissed me.”

Keiji was now blushing even darker than before. “That wasn’t a kiss. I was giving you air,” he said as he lowered himself down into the water. He stopped once it was up to his eyes; he wanted to hide his blush.

“Funny, you left that detail out when you told me the story,” Kenma said with a wry grin; he was still standing close to Tetsurou, and Keiji was almost willing to forgive the teasing just because he was so proud that Kenma was being brave around humans. 

Tetsurou chuckled as he glanced at Kenma. “I wish that Koutarou would have left that out during any of the two hundred times he told the story about getting rescued.”

Keiji looked over at Koutarou with a raised eyebrow, but he kept most of his face under the water. He was both flattered and embarrassed. 

Koutarou waved a hand dismissively while looking between Keiji and Tetsurou. “It wasn’t that many times. He’s exaggerating.”

“Except I’m not. He’s been dying to find you all this time,” Tetsurou said as he grinned widely and ran a hand through his wet hair to get it out of his eyes. “What a stroke of luck that we found you here today.”

“Keiji’s been looking for him, too. Don’t know if we can call it luck when it’s the twentieth time he’s come here looking for him,” Kenma said as he went to float on his back.

“You’ve been looking for me?” Koutarou asked as directed a beaming smile at Keiji. 

Keiji brought his face up out of the water so that he could speak, though he was starting to feel incredibly embarrassed. “I was hoping to run into you again, but you were never here when I came. I thought you might be afraid of the water after what happened.”

“Nah, I’ll always love the water!” Koutarou replied cheerfully. “I’ve just been away at college the past four years. I came back during the summers though. I can’t believe we haven’t run into each other sooner if you were coming here to look for me!”

“How’d you know to look for him here,” Tetsurou asked as he looked over at Keiji. “You saved us out by the lighthouse.”

Keiji didn’t answer, so Kenma spoke up instead. “He already knew who Koutarou was when he saved you guys.”

That was all Keiji could take. He suddenly sunk down and went to lay down on the sandy floor while completely submerged. He planned to stay there for several minutes so that he could compose himself. He was feeling overwhelmed with the sudden direction change that the conversation had taken, and he wasn’t sure what he should say to Koutarou now. He closed his eyes and appreciated the way the cold water was helping counter his lingering blush.

“Is he okay?” Koutarou directed the question to Kenma. 

Kenma nodded. “The sun’s just hard on our skin, makes it dry out if we’re right under it for too long. I actually need to go under for a minute too.”

“Wait.” Tetsurou reached a hand out towards Kenma, then dropped it back down. “So you can breath underwater?”

“Yep,” Kenma said as he glanced back at Tetsurou. Then he turned and dove under the water so that he could lay next to Keiji. “What’s wrong? You seem like you’re having a little freak out down here.”

“I just didn’t think he’d recognize me. Do you think he likes me?” Keiji replied as he played with his fingers nervously. He didn’t even notice when a crab scuttled over his chest. 

Kenma let out a snort of a laugh as he reached over and picked the crab up, then set it on the ground above their heads. “It’s pretty obvious that he does. Want me to ask him just to be sure?”

“Don’t say anything like that,” Keiji replied as he turned to look at Kenma with an almost scolding expression.

“I won’t if you don’t want me to,” Kenma said as he tucked his hands behind his head. 

“I don’t need you to confess for me,” Keiji said in a harsher tone than he meant to use. 

Kenma let out a short sigh. “I’m not going to say anything, okay?”

Keiji took a deep inhale of water, which was the same as air for him. “I know. I’m sorry for being snappy, I’m just a little overwhelmed right now.”

Kenma floated up a bit as a wave crashed into the tide pool. “Feels like the tide is coming in. Should we go home now? Maybe you need a little break from socializing.”

Keiji glanced at Kenma with a frown. “Are you feeling like you’re done with socializing?”

“I’d actually like to hang out with them more, personally. I want to know more about that video game Tetsurou’s making,” Kenma replied with a shrug. 

“I never thought I’d live to see the day where you’d be asking to spend more time with a human,” Keiji said with a slight grin.

“Don’t get used to it. I’m not going to make it a habit,” Kenma said as he gave Keiji a flat expression. “Are you ready to get back out there now?”

Keiji nodded. “I think so.”

“He definitely likes you, okay? It’s going to be fine,” Kenma said before he went to stand up.

Keiji got up as well, and then looked at where Tetsurou and Kouratou were standing beside each other in the water. The two men had been whispering about something. But they grew quiet when Kenma and Keiji came back to the surface. 

Then Koutarou grinned at Keiji. “The tide’s starting to come in, so we should probably get out of the water. Do you guys want to come over to our place for lunch?”

“Oh… uhm…” Keiji hadn’t been expecting that offer. It was very exciting though, and for multiple reasons. He had never been inside a human's home before; he’d love to see what that was like. And he wanted to spend more time with Koutarou, of course. He ended up getting lost in thought as he made a mental list of things to ask Koutarou about in regards to humans and their customs when it came to visiting each other’s homes. 

Kenma glanced at Keiji and waited a moment before sighing and answering for him. “How far away do you live?”

“About twenty minutes that way,” Tetsurou said as he pointed behind Keiji and Kenma. “We do have some sandwiches with us, but it’s not going to be enough to fill us all up. And we figured we could play some video games after we eat.”

“Okay, we’ll come.” Kenma replied without hesitation; it was kind of obvious that he was in it for the video games. 

Keiji bit the inside of his cheek. He was frustrated with himself for getting so flustered; he didn’t usually let himself get so swept away by how he was feeling. And he wasn’t usually so lost for words. He didn’t want to come off that way, so he worked to clear his head and then gave Koutarou a slight smile. “We’d love to join you guys for lunch. Thank you for offering.”

They all went to get out of the water at that point. And unfortunately, the tide was coming in with big waves; it made some water wash over their clothes. Tetsurou’s backpack was wet as well.

“Looks like our clothes are soaked,” Kenma said as he looked at the pile where Keiji had left their clothes and umbrellas. 

Tetsurou picked up his backpack and unzipped it. “Everything in here is wet too. Our clothes, our shoes, and my sketchbook. And these sandwiches are no good anymore,” he said with a frown. 

Meanwhile, Koutarou was reaching out to touch Keiji’s hair. “Hey, your hair’s already dry.”

Keiji allowed Koutarou to ruffle his hair around for a moment before reaching up to move his hand. “We have water resistant bodies, including our hair.”

"That's so cool!" Koutarou said with a grin. Then he ran his hands through his own hair, which was still flat from being wet. "I wish my hair was like that."

Meanwhile, Kenma went to pick up his wet clothes and started to put them on. “I’m going to get dressed. I don’t want a sunburn.” 

“I guess we shouldn’t just walk home in our underwear, huh? But I'll skip wearing the wet shoes,” Tetsurou said as he looked down at himself. He pulled his wet clothes out of his backpack and put them on, then handed Koutarou’s clothes to him.

While Koutarou was getting dressed, Keiji was putting his clothes on as well. He wasn’t bothered by how wet they were; it would make the walk a bit more refreshing. Once he was dressed, he picked up his umbrella and tucked it under his arm.

Koutarou was staring at Keiji with a curious expression after he finished pulling on his soaked shirt. “Do you have an umbrella because you're sensitive to the sun?”

Keiji nodded. “That’s right. Being out in it too long makes our skin dry out a bit. And when it’s hot like this, we get sunburn easily.”

Koutarou leaned close to look at Keiji’s arms. “You’re kind of shiny, Keiji. Like the tiny fish in the tide pools.”

Keiji blushed slightly. “Well, my skin is slightly light reflective. I’m made for being underwater, so my skin is different than yours.”

“It’s the hottest part of the day,” Koutarou said as he went to brush his fingers over Keiji’s arm. “Do you need to cover your arms too?

“I’ll be okay,” Keiji replied as opened his umbrella and held it over himself. “Especially since we just went swimming.”

“Let’s get going, then,” Koutarou said as he reached for Keiji’s hand and pulled him along. “I’m starving!”

Kenma watched Koutarou and Keiji walking along as he pulled his hood on and got his umbrella open. “Somehow I still feel like the third wheel in this situation.”

“You and me both,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle as he went to walk along next to Kenma.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've got a problem. And by we, I mean me. I wanted this fic to be exactly 111,111 words. But if these chapters keep running long like this, that's not going to haaaaaaaappen. 
> 
> Anyway, see you soon for the next chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone wanted to look at the floorplan of Hajime’s house again, here's the [link](https://spacejammie-eimmajecaps.tumblr.com/post/641254679514365952/redid-the-lighthouse-floor-plan-maybe-thats).

By the time they made it to the house, Kenma was thoroughly overheated. He regretted wearing a hoodie with sweatpants that day; shorts would have breathed much better. The sun was shining way stronger than it had any of the other times he had been in Skyway, and he wondered how long the gods would end up being away at their meeting. He wanted the thick clouds and daily drizzles of rain back. 

Not only was he too warm, but his stomach was starting to gurgle from hunger; he'd only had a light breakfast that morning. And Keiji was getting a look on his face that was a mix between grouchines and sleepiness, which was a sure sign that he was hungry too. Though he had somehow patiently answered countless questions from Koutarou during the whole walk from the tide pools to the house. However, Kenma and Tetsurou had both been silent for most of the walk; it was entertaining enough to listen to Koutarou and Keiji.

As they all made it to the porch steps, Keiji glanced down at himself. “My clothes are still wet. I was hoping they’d have dried already thanks to the heat.”

“You can borrow some of my clothes! I just did some laundry today,” Koutarou said as he stripped out of his shirt and hung it on the porch railing to dry. Then he slipped his shorts off and put them next to his shirt. 

“Thank you, that would be nice,” Keiji said as he set down his umbrella. Then he went to strip down to his boxers. Once he had left his shirt and shorts to dry on the porch railing, Koutarou grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here right now, Keiji. I’m so happy,” was the last thing Kenma heard before Koutarou and Keiji disappeared into the house. 

“He’s not lacking in enthusiasm, is he?” Tetsurou said with a chuckle as he went to take off his wet clothes. His hair was mostly dry at that point and was sticking up in all different directions, as if that’s just the way it had to be. He turned to Kenma as he started wiping his feet on the doormat and brushing off his legs. “We’ve both got sand on us. Would you like to shower and then use some of my clothes?”

“I guess so,” Kenma said with a shrug as leaned his umbrella against the wall next to the front door. He could just as easily go naked, but he knew that Keiji wouldn’t appreciate that since he cared about trying to follow human customs. And a cold shower did sound refreshing. So he stripped down until he wore just his boxers and hung his wet clothes on the railing. And then he made some effort to get the sand off his body so he wouldn’t track it into the house. “Do you have any hoodies?”

“I’ve got a few,” Tetsurou replied as pulled his and Koutarou’s wet shoes out of his backpack and then set them to dry on the porch. He glanced at Kenma’s feet afterwards. “I noticed that you don’t have any shoes with you. Is that a ningyo thing?”

“Yeah, shoes aren’t really necessary for us,” Kenma said as he looked around the porch; it was all kept in shade thanks to the roof, which extended out over it. It was lined with railing as far as he could see. And it wasn’t very crowded aside from a few wooden chairs and a porch swing, but the porch was wide enough that those things didn’t block the walkway. And there were some potted plants sitting along the railing just beyond where they had all hung their clothes. 

Then he saw that the name ‘Iwaizumi’ was painted on an old sign hanging next to the front door, and he remembered Hajime mentioning that his last name was Iwaizumi while he and Daichi were at the lighthouse. He grinned as he realized that this was actually Hajime’s house, and that Koutarou and Tetsurou must be the friends that Hajime had said were coming into town. He decided not to say anything about it to anyone though; it would be more fun to just see how that played out later. 

“You don’t even wear shoes to go town? The pavement there gets pretty hot,” Tetsurou said as he pulled his sketchbook out of his backpack and frowned at it. Then he carefully sat it up with the pages spread open so that they could dry. 

“I’ve never gone there. Most of us don’t because humans bring curses,” Kenma said with a very slight edge to his voice. But humans weren’t actually as bad as he thought they’d be. And Tetsurou was probably his favorite of the humans he’d met so far, not that he was going to admit that out loud. 

Tetsurou chuckled as he glanced at Kenma. “And what curses are you expecting me to bring on, exactly? Humans don’t have magic.”

“You won’t bring any since you’ve been saved by Keiji before, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking to you right now. There’s a lot of history between humans and ningyo. But I’ll let Keiji explain that to you later. He likes telling the story,” Kenma replied.

“I’ll look forward to hearing about it,” Tetsurou said as he left his wet backpack on the porch and then went to walk into the house. “Come on, I’ll get you a clean towel so you can take a shower.”

“I don’t need a towel,” Kenma said as he followed Tetsurou into the house. “I’m water resistant, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right. I’ll just get out some clothes for you then,” Tetsurou said as he went towards one of the bedrooms. 

After Kenma closed the front door behind himself, he looked around at the inside of the house. There were two armchairs that each sat next to a round side table, and those were sitting on both sides of the entryway; it was the kind of set up that someone like Keiji would probably use to sit and read since there was a large window behind each armchair. 

In the middle of the room, there was a u-shaped couch that was facing a TV. Towards the back of the open room was a kitchen and a dining area separated by a long counter. There was a glass door to the back patio between that counter and the dining table. And the dining table was square shaped with eight chairs around it. The walls all around the big room were an off white color and were decorated with hanging shelves that held various nicknacks. And the floors were a matching shade of hardwood throughout the whole living space. 

Overall, Kenma didn’t think it was that impressive; the dwelling of the Karasuno gods had been more interesting to look at. But the place did seem well built. And the TV was slightly bigger than the one at the lighthouse. 

Keiji, on the other hand, seemed to think that the house was amazing. He was walking around looking at everything as if he were taking mental notes. His pupils were steadily glowing gold as he’d pick something up, stare at it for a moment, then set it back down carefully. And he seemed determined to pull out and look at every single one of the books on the bookshelves. By the way he was smiling, it was as if he’d just discovered a lost temple or something of that nature; he hardly ever smiled so openly and for such a long period of time. Though finding Koutarou was definitely part of what was making him so cheerful.

And at that moment, Koutarou was standing in the kitchen where there was a washer and dryer stacked in the corner. He was digging through the clothes in the dryer to find something for Keiji to wear. And he seemed to have found what he wanted, because he suddenly hurried over to Keiji with a grin as he held some clothes towards him. 

“Here, these should be comfortable! 

“Thank you,” Keiji said as he reached for the outfit that Koutarou was offering.

After Koutarou went and pulled the rest of his clothes out of the dryer, he walked back over and took Keiji by the hand. “I bet you need to cool off in some water. As a sea creature, how often do you have to get wet? I’ll show you where my room is so that you can use my shower! ”

Keiji glanced at Kenma with a blush as he was pulled along; he looked so happy and so embarrassed all at the same time. 

“They’re definitely going to be inseparable now,” Kenma muttered to himself. 

He felt a little bit jealous because he wouldn’t have Keiji to himself anymore. But they had been friends since infancy; it’s not like getting into a relationship was going to threaten their bond. And he didn’t want to admit that he was slightly envious over how much Koutarou was already doting on Keiji. It’s not like he had ever given much thought to whether or not he wanted to have something like that. He had been content to have Keiji as his closest friend; they were always together, and that friendship had been more than enough companionship for him over the past nineteen years. But now things would be different.

Tetsurou suddenly poked his head out of the bedroom next to the kitchen and nodded at Kenma. “Come on. I’ll let you shower first.”

Kenma went into Tetsurou’s bedroom while looking down at the floor, which was the same hardwood as was in the rest of the house. Then he looked around the room with wide eyes; he’d never seen anything so glorious. The room was well organized and very clean, but that wasn’t what was so impressive. On one wall was a TV that was even bigger than the one in the living room. Below it was a shelf filled with over a dozen game consoles, both old and new; Kenma didn’t even know what most of them were called. And there was a desk in one corner with a large computer and several monitors on it. 

“That’s my gaming computer. I’ll let you check it out later,” Tetsurou said when he noticed where Kenma’s attention was directed. “I’m going to go start some laundry. You can use the shower in my bathroom, and these clothes on my bed are for you,” he said as he picked up a laundry basket and turned to walk out of the room.

“Thanks,” Kenma said as looked at the neatly folded stack of clothes that sat on the perfectly made bed. 

Then he went into the bathroom, which was as clean and organized as the bedroom. There were some styling products on the counter that were carefully lined up. None of them seemed to have been used though. That wasn’t a surprise considering the state of Tetsurou’s hair; he seemed to let it do what it wanted. Although there was a part of Kenma’s mind that was thinking about how Tetsurou looked good with the messy hair. It suited him somehow, just like the crooked grin he often wore. Anything else would seem odd. And the mental image of Tetsurou with carefully combed and gelled hair almost made him laugh.

Kenma slipped off his boxers and stepped into the shower. It was slightly smaller than the one at the lighthouse. After he turned on the water and rinsed the traces of sand away from his skin, he noticed several different bottles of shampoo along the wall. He opened and sniffed them one at a time until he found one he liked. It was an apple blossom one; he thought it had a very pleasant scent. 

Once he had finished washing off, he shook his hair to remove any drips of water that might have become stuck. Then he stepped out of the shower and went into the bedroom since he had left the clothes on Tetsurou’s bed. And Tetsurou happened to have just come back into the bedroom; he was closing the door right as Kenma was coming out of the bathroom. 

“Oh, sorry,” Tetsurou said when he saw Kenma’s naked body. Then he turned around to face the door.

“It’s fine,” Kenma said with a slight grin. He was amused by how red Tetsurou’s face had gotten; humans were so weird about nudity. 

Tetsurou kept facing the other way as Kenma got dressed. The boxers were just tight enough to stay on, but the sweatpants were so loose that he had to pull the drawstrings all the way closed for them to stay up. And both the shirt and hoodie were baggie. But that’s how he liked his clothes to fit anyway. 

Tetsurou cleared his throat as he turned to glance at Kenma. “Uh, if those are too big, I can get you something else to try.”

“I’m okay in this,” Kenma replied. He noticed that Tetsurou’s sweatshirt was even softer than any of his own; he found himself wondering if he could get away with borrowing it for longer than necessary. 

After a moment, Tetsurou went to walk towards the bathroom. “I’m going to rinse off really quick. You can go see if Keiji and Kou are out there yet if you want.”

“I’d rather just wait here,” Kenma said. He wanted an excuse to look at the game systems that Tetsurou had in his bedroom. 

And Tetsurou seemed to pick up on that. “If you look in the closet, you’ll find all my games. Feel free to check them out.”

Kenma didn’t need to be told twice. While Tetsurou showered, he went to the closet and slid one of the mirrored doors open. Inside was a bookshelf that took up half of the entire closet. There were probably close to a hundred games on it; he had never been so excited just by looking into a closet before. He spent the next few minutes pulling out one game after another so that he could look at the cover and read the description.

When Tetsurou got out of the shower and came back into the bedroom ten minutes later, Kenma didn’t even notice. So he got startled when Tetsurou suddenly knelt down next to him. He immediately shimmed red and went into camouflage. 

“Oops, sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you,” Tetsurou said as he scooted away a bit. 

Kenma huffed as he shimmered red and returned to being visible. “You didn’t scare me.”

“Kind of seems like I did,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle as he moved a little closer and looked at the stack of games that Kenma had pulled out.

“You didn’t,” Kenma said stubbornly as went to return the games that he had gotten off the shelf. 

Tetsurou started to help put the games away as he gave a crooked grin. “It’s okay to say you were surprised.”

“Nothing surprises me,” Kenma countered as he continued to put games back on the shelf.

Tetsurou gave a doubtful hum as he put back the last game and turned to look at Kenma. “You just don’t want to admit it.”

“There’s nothing to admit. Except that I’m starving right now,” Kenma said as he turned his head and met Tetsurou’s gaze. 

“Well, we’d better get you some food then,” Tetsurou said in a solemn voice, though a smile was still pulling at his lips. He and Kenma stared at each other for a moment that seemed to drag on. And then he finally stood up and started walking towards the bedroom door. “Let’s go see if Kou and Keiji are ready for lunch.”

Kenma’s face was feeling warm as he followed Tetsurou out of the bedroom. Koutarou and Keiji were not in the living area yet, so Tetsurou went and knocked on Koutarou’s bedroom door. Kenma followed along and waited next to him. Tetsurou only waited a few seconds before he opened the door. Koutarou was laying on the bed while chatting away, and Keiji seemed to be working on sorting the clothes that were covering the floor. Kenma grinned slightly at that; Keiji couldn’t leave a mess when he found one. 

Tetsurou leaned against the door frame and smirked. “You two planning on staying in here all day, or are we going to eat lunch?”

Koutarou jumped up off the bed and went over to the door. “Keiji wanted to look through my stuff. He said he’s never seen such an impressive amount of chaos in one room!”

“That’s not a compliment, dude,” Tetsurou said with a chuckle as he went to turn around and walk towards the kitchen. Then he nodded at Kenma. “You can go sit down over there while I make lunch if you want.”

“Okay,” Kenma said as he walked to the table. Keiji came along as well, and they sat down next to each other. 

“I’ll make you a sandwich, too,” Koutarou said as he glanced at Keiji with an eager grin. “What kind do you want? We have leftover fried pork or egg salad.”

“Whichever is easier,” Keiji said. “I’m not picky.”

“What about you, Kenma?” Tetsurou called out as he dug through the refrigerator. “Which kind do you want?”

“The pork one,” Kenma replied. He didn’t often eat human food, but he thought there had been pork in a soup that Koushi had made the previous summer.

As Tetsurou and Koutarou worked in the kitchen to whip up the sandwiches, Kenma and Keiji waited at the table. But Keiji kept glancing back at the bookshelves; it was obvious that he wanted to go read every single book right that second. He really couldn’t resist the prospect of learning something new, and it was very likely that he would end up reading after lunch if he were granted permission to do so.

“You’re radiating bookworm energy right now,” Kenma teased as he elbowed Keiji. “If those books were alive, they’d be terrified of you.”

“I’m not sure how long it would take me to get through them all. There must be a couple hundred of them at least,” Keiji said in a way that made it seem like he wasn’t really listening to Kenma at all. But he sounded excited at the prospect of spending hours sitting in one place while pouring over those books. 

And Kenma could relate to that feeling. He wanted to spend hours playing the games in Tetsurou’s closet, though it would take him a lot longer to get through those than it would take for Keiji to read the books. Keiji was an incredibly fast reader. But games couldn’t really be rushed; there were levels to beat or repeat as needed, and storylines to get through at a set pace. He wondered how long they’d be able to stay over without wearing out their welcome. 

It didn’t take long for the sandwiches to be done. Koutarou brought his and Keiji’s over while Tetsurou carried over the ones he had made for himself and Kenma.

“Thanks for the food,” Keiji said as he looked at his carefully made sandwich. It was obvious that Koutarou had tried to make it look as nice as possible.

“No problem at all,” Koutarou said as he went to sit down in the seat closest to Keiji. “I hope you like it!”

Tetsurou went to sit next to Kenma at the large square table and set one of the plates he held in front of him. “One pork sandwich, as requested. I hope it keeps you from withering away completely.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it,” Kenma deadpanned as he looked at the sandwich that had been made for him. It looked pretty good, and his stomach was growling at the thought of food. 

Neither Kenma nor Keiji had ever had a sandwich before. But they had tried plenty of soups. It always seemed to be some type of soup that was made whenever they decided to have human food at the lighthouse. Sashimi was their main food, and then various soups were the alternative. Kenma was pretty sure that it was because they only had one cookbook; it was specifically filled with soup recipes. But now they knew four humans who were bound to have basic kitchen skills, they could finally get some variety in their diet. 

Kenma took a small bite of the pork sandwich; it had a lot of flavor and texture variation compared to the sashimi and soups that he was used to eating. But he liked it, and he finished chewing before he spoke. “This is actually really good.”

“That’s a relief. It would be embarrassing to mess up a sandwich,” Tetsurou said with a grin as he went to eat his own food. 

Meanwhile, Keiji was eating his sandwich silently. It wasn’t the same as Kenma’s; Koutarou had made him an egg salad sandwich. Keiji seemed to be enjoying it. But he also seemed to be very aware of Koutarou, who was staring at him while they both ate. 

“Does it taste okay?” Koutarou asked once he’d finished most of his own sandwich. 

Keiji nodded before he spoke. “It’s very good. The best sandwich I’ve ever had.”

Koutarou’s face brightened up at the praise; he was practically beaming. And Kenma had to bite his tongue to keep himself from saying that it was the only sandwich Keiji had even eaten. It hadn’t been meant as such high praise, it was just Keiji stating a fact. It would have been just as accurate to call it the worst sandwich he’d ever eaten. 

As he finished his food, Keiji glanced at the bookshelf for a long moment. Then he looked at Koutarou with a hesitant grin. “Would it be alright if I read some of those books?”

Koutarou turned to look at the bookshelves as he shoved the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. He answered while he was still chewing. “They’re not actually mine. But I think that would be okay.”

Keiji stood up and went to pick up his plate, but Koutarou reached for it first. 

“I’ll take it,” Koutarou said as he stood up and smiled at Keiji. “You can go look at the books.”

“Thank you,” Keiji said with an appreciative nod. Then he walked over to one of the two bookshelves. There was one against the wall between Koutarou and Tetsurou’s bedroom doors, and another against the opposite wall. The couch and TV were between them.

Kenma watched Keiji brush his fingers over some of the books as if greeting them. Then he glanced at Tetsurou, who had just finished eating. “You know, he’s going to stay here until he’s finished reading all of them. Or until you guys kick him out.”

“Kou probably won’t kick him out no matter how long he stays, so I guess you’re stuck here for a while too,” Tetsurou said with an expression that was more pleased than anything else.

Kenma was still working on his sandwich, and Tetsurou seemed to be waiting for him to be finished before leaving the table. “I guess we’ll have plenty of time for games then.”

Tetsurou hummed in agreement. “Which one do you want to start with?”

“I don’t know. Which one do you want to play?” Kenma asked. He had just finished half of his sandwich and he wasn’t really hungry for the rest of it; he’d always had a small appetite. 

“You should pick since you’re the guest,” Tetsurou replied as he rested both his hands behind his head. 

“I’ve never seen so many games before. I might have a hard time choosing,” Kenma said as he looked at the remaining half of his sandwich. “Can I save this for later?”

“Sure,” Tetsurou said as he stood up and reached for Kenma’s plate, then slid his own plate underneath it. “I’ll put it in the fridge for you.”

“Thanks,” Kenma said as he watched Tetsurou take both their plates to the kitchen. 

After Tetsurou had put Kenma’s sandwich into a little container, he put it into the fridge. Then he went to rinse their plates off in the sink while he spoke. “So what games have you already played? That’ll help narrow it down, and I could make suggestions for ones that are similar.”

“I haven’t actually played that many. I don’t have a lot of games,” Kenma said as he stood up and went to lean against the kitchen counter. Then he glanced at the couch where Koutarou and Keiji were sitting; it looked like Keiji was answering questions for Koutarou while trying to read at the same time. 

“How many do you have?” Tetsurou asked as he finished washing the plates and turned around to look at Kenma.

“Three,” Kenma said before he listed them off.

“Those are really old games. How’ve you even lived up until now?” Tetsurou asked playfully. Then he walked towards his bedroom.

“I haven’t,” Kenma said as he followed Tetsurou. Then he walked over to the open closet so that his eyes could wander over the games. “I’ve barely been existing this whole time.”

“Well then... your life starts now,” Tetsurou said with a wink as he reached for a game. “If you don’t have anything specific in mind, we could start with this one.”

Just then, something hit the window with a loud thud. The sound of it startled Kenma. He flashed red before going into his camouflage. 

“Hey, don’t worry,” Tetsurou said as he walked over to the window. “It was just a bird. Although it’s acting like it wants to come inside.”

Kenma shimmered red as he turned his camouflage off and then walked over to the window. There was a crow pecking at the glass as if it were knocking, so he went to open the window as he spoke. “I wonder if the gods sent it.” 

The crow flew inside and then landed on Kenma’s shoulder. It let out a loud caw before fluttering its wings, which tickled and made Kenma crunch up his shoulders. “Ugh, get it off.”

Tetsurou reached a hand out to the bird; it hopped onto his finger willingly. “Look at this. It’s got a little note tied onto its foot.” 

Kenma saw that there really was a little note on the bird's foot. So he reached over to untie it. And as soon as he did so, the crow flew back out the window. 

“That was really weird,” Tetsurou said as he went to close the window again. 

Meanwhile, Kenma unrolled the note. It had been folded several times before being rolled up, and writing filled every available space on both the front and back on the paper. He started to read it silently.

_ Hi Kenma!  _

_ The meeting has been really exciting so far, but the land gods haven’t shown up yet. Ukai is raging because all the sea gods are here waiting around on them. He’s on edge like you wouldn’t believe. And I thought he was going to evaporate someone because he couldn’t find his cigarettes. Thankfully Takeda found them before Ukai totally lost it.  _

_ Anyway, Kageyama is sulking because everyone keeps talking to me and I think he might be jealous. But when Koganegawa tried to talk to Kageyama, he just gave them that stormy look he gets sometimes. He needs to work on that. But he’s a lot sweeter than he seems. He found some flowers for me that were really cool. They only grow here on this island, and I guess they only bloom once a year. And now Kageyama’s watching Narita and Kinoshita. They’re playing this complicated game against Washio and Sarukui. They’re Fukurodani gods, and that faction is supposed to be the wisest. So it’ll be interesting to see if they win or not.  _

_ And you remember Tsukishima, right? Well he and Yamaguchi are huddled up together in a corner with Suna, and they’ve been there the whole time just watching the chaos unfold. Suna’s been recording everything with this glass orb he always has with him, and honestly that's why we call him the god of drama (that’s not his official title though, so don’t call him that if you ever meet him). But seriously, there has been SO MUCH DRAMA already.  _

_ At one point, Nishinoya set off a loud clap of thunder just to see who would get scared. It made Goshiki pass out because he was so surprised. And Shirabu caught him before he fell. Or I guess it would be more accurate to say that Goshiki fell onto Shirabu. But you should have seen how high Yaku jumped when the thunder went off. He landed right in Haiba’s arms, and then they started to fight about something. I think you’d like them so I’ll have to introduce you to them soon.  _

_ Anyway, Yamamoto and Tanaka got into a competition after that to see who could listen to more of Nishinoya’s thunder without flinching. It was a tie in the end, but they both damaged their hearing. It’ll heal eventually though. And Ennoshita is going to help speed up that healing once they formally apologize for making so much noise.  _

_ It wasn’t long after that when another funny thing happened. Komi and Konoha were talking to Shimizu and Yachi. But Tanaka blew them into a wall because he thought they were flirting with our goddesses. I guess he couldn’t hear what they were saying thanks to the hearing damage, and he assumed that they were bothing Yachi because she looked nervous. But she just always looks nervous when we’re in a big group like this.  _

_ So once Tanaka blew Komi and Konoha into a wall, a huge fight broke out between like fifteen different gods. I’m not sure what it was really about, but I think they just wanted something to do since we’ve been waiting around here since late last night. Yachi hates fighting, so she started getting really upset. But then Shimizu calmed everyone down with just a look. She may seem quiet and sweet, but she’s one of the most powerful goddesses. And she’s really protective of Yachi. She and Yachi are with the goddesses from Fukurodani now, but Tanaka's going to get an earful from her later.  _

_ So after that happened, one of the Miya twins started to transform into other gods and play pranks on people by impersonating them. He and his brother are both gods of reflection, so they can transform into anyone and anything they see. There was a huge uproar when one of the twins pretended to be Kyoutani, who’s this scary Aoba Johsai god. The fake Kyoutani pinched Yahaba’s butt. The real Kyoutani was furious about that and almost let a bunch of inugami loose, which would have been pretty bad. There’s no controlling inugami. They’re these dog ghosts that possess things, you know. And only Kyoutani can control them. _

_ Yahaba had to drag the real Kyoutani outside to calm him down, but he landed a punch on the fake Kyoutani first. And then Kita turned both of the twins into stone as punishment even though only one of them was playing tricks. I didn’t even know Kita could do that! All this time I thought he was just the god who sent the rains in for the crops. But it turns out that he has the opposite power of the twins. He can turn anything other than himself into whatever he wants. _

_ When I asked Ojiro if the twins were going to be stone forever, he said that the curse would wear off after a while depending on how long Kita set it to last. Then Suna told me that one of the twins had been turned into a stone statue for over three hundred years before. But I couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. _

Kenma had to flip the paper over to read the rest.

_ Right after that happened, Fukunaga started to tell some jokes to try to lighten up the mood. He’s one of the Nekoma gods and he’s actually really funny. Things calmed down for a while thanks to that. But then either Hanamaki or Matsukawa made a flowering plant sprout up in the middle of the meeting room we were all sitting in. One of them is a god of plants and the other is a god of tricks. I don’t know which is which though, and neither does anyone else. At this point I honestly think that they figured out a way to switch their powers at will. _

_ But anyway, the smell of the plant was so bad. I thought Kageyama was going to throw up on me. And the plant kept growing bigger and bigger, then it burst into a bunch of smaller plants that smelled even worse. So some gods from Dateko named Aone, Kamasaki and Futakuchi worked together to seal the plants in a giant iron box so that they couldn’t spread any further. Ukai is in there burning it all away right now, and he threatened to roast Hanamaki and Matsukawa for a thousand years as punishment. But Semi already froze them both in a block of ice, and he said he won’t let them out until Yahaba comes back with Kyoutani. Yahaba is the only one who can control the other Aoba Johsai gods when it comes down to it.  _

_ And it was sometime after all that happened when Washijou got really angry. He said that all the younger gods are being disrespectful of tradition and tarnishing our reputation or something like that. He threatened to blow everything away if we don’t stop goofing around. But that made Nekomata laugh really hard because he plays just as many pranks as the younger gods even though he’s one of the oldest gods around. And then everyone was laughing along with him. Washijou didn’t talk for a while after that, but we could all feel his anger. He almost sent a storm out because of it. And honestly, he still might. Be on the lookout for one. _

_ Oh and Azumane has been drinking nonstop since we got here because there’s an open bar. He keeps shooting lightning at anyone who tells him to slow down. It’s not like he’d die from alcohol poisoning or anything since he’s a god. The problem is that he’s not leaving any for the rest of us, and that’s why everyone wants him to slow down. But Kita offered to turn rice from some nearby fields into more alcohol while we’re all waiting for Ukai to finish roasting away those nasty plants. _

_ Anyway, Hoshiumi and Hiragami look like they’re starting some kind of competition, and they’re waving me over to join in. So I’ve got to go. Hopefully the land gods show up soon so we can get things started. I can’t wait to visit you!  _

_ -Your friend, Hinata _

“Wow. The gods sound like a wild bunch,” Tetsurou said; he had been peeking over Kenma’s shoulder at the note. “Is it safe to assume that Hinata's a god too?”

“Yeah. He’s one of the gods I met recently.”

“I can’t believe he fit so much writing one one little piece of paper,” Tetsurou said as he squinted at the note; he was leaning close enough that his chest was pressed against Kenma’s shoulder.

“You should hear him talk in person,” Kenma replied. Then he stuck the note into the pocket of his borrowed sweatshirt. He didn’t move away from Tetsurou, though he wasn't sure how he felt about the close contact. “Ready to play some games?”

“I don’t know, are you ready to lose?” Tetsurou said as he stepped away and walked over to one of the game consoles so he could put a disk in. 

“I’m ready to kick your ass,” Kenma replied with a smirk as he sat down on the floor in front of Tetsurou’s bed. 

Tetsurou grabbed two controllers and then sat next to Kenma, handing one over as he did so. “We’ll see about that.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I maybe went a little overboard with the meeting of the gods shenanigans. Ha ha oops. 
> 
> Today is my "have nothing going on" day so I plan to do a lot of editing for the next chapter. There is a very very very slight chance that I'll get it posted by tonight. But no promises there.
> 
> As always for reading my self indulgence ^_^


	16. Chapter 16

Koushi and Daichi were laying together on the couch. They had just finished watching three horror movies in a row, and it was still dark in the room since the lights were off and the thick curtains covering the windows were closed. While watching the movies, Daichi had been absolutely terrified; he had never been one to handle that type of film well. So he had held Koushi against his chest like a pillow the entire time, which seemed to be a very agreeable thing for Koushi. And he was still holding him tightly as they watched the credits roll across the screen.

“There’s one movie more in this series,” Koushi said as he turned his head to look at Daichi’s face in the dim light from the TV screen. “Feel up to watching it?”

“Uh… I don’t think I can handle any more of them,” Daichi said hesitantly. He could still see images in his head from some of the more gory scenes. And he was regretting that he had agreed to watch any of them at all, let alone three in a row. “Do you like movies that aren’t like those ones?”

“Sure, I like all kinds of movies,” Koushi said as he rolled over onto his back. “Which types do you normally watch?”

“Comedies and romance flicks. That kind of thing,” Daichi said as he reached over to hold onto Koushi’s hip so that he wouldn’t accidentally fall off the couch. It was a little crowded for them to be laying on it together side by side; the couch was long but narrow. And he also wanted to keep cuddling Koushi. It had been a very cozy past few hours, even if he had been scared out of his mind for most of it. “I don’t usually watch scary movies.”

“Being scared is so fun though,” Koushi said as he rolled towards Daichi and moved to press his body against him; he scooted down a bit so that he could lean his head against Daichi’s chest. “And I didn’t even need to amp up your fear. You were practically shaking the whole time.”

“I wouldn’t say I was shaking,” Daichi said with a chuckle as he wrapped an arm around Koushi’s upper back. But then he realized what Koushi had said and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Wait a second... you were planning on amping up my fear?” 

“Only a little, teeny, tiny, very small bit,” Koushi said with a shamelessly amused voice. But then he looked apologetic as he pulled his head back so that he could look at Daichi. “I’m sorry you didn’t have fun watching those movies with me. I thought you might enjoy getting scared like I do. But next time we have a movie date, we can watch something you’ve picked out.”

“I still had fun even if I didn’t enjoy the movies very much. I liked being here with you,” Daichi said as he gazed at Koushi; he was looking back and forth between his eyes and his lips. “It’s not every day that I get to cuddle with you for hours at a time.”

“It could be every day, though,” Koushi said softly. Then he leaned in as if he was going to kiss Daichi. 

And Daichi was leaning in as well. 

But then Satori walked in and turned the lights on, which made Koushi dip his face down and hide it against Daichi’s chest; his ears immediately went red. 

And Daichi was also blushing as he turned his body a bit and tried to make it seem like they hadn’t just been about to kiss.

When Satori noticed the way Daichi and Koushi were awkwardly cuddled up on the couch, he gave a wide grin and put both hands on his hips. “Don’t let me interrupt your fun. Just pretend I’m not even here!”

“I’ve got to hand it to you, Tori. You know how to ruin a moment,” Koushi said in a frustrated tone as he untangled himself from Daichi and sat up. 

Daichi sat up as well, though he wrapped an arm around Koushi to keep him close.

“You’ll have to try harder than that to guilt me, Koko-bear. You’re accidentally sending some of your lingering excitement,” Satori said as he ignored Koushi’s irritation and accompanying waves of guilt he was trying to send out. He then walked over to the couch and went to sit on the arm rest while studying Daichi curiously. “So did Koushi make your movie time extra scary? Better get used to him playing with your emotions for funsies, because he does that kind of thing _a lot.”_

“I didn’t mess with his emotions at all,” Koushi said defensively, as if he hadn’t actually been planning to in the first place. 

Satori winked at Koushi and then leaned closer to Daichi while he spoke. “I personally love it when he makes movies extra scary. It’s more thrilling that way! But I don’t really care for the way he makes his pranks scarier.”

“What kind of pranks does he do?” Daichi asked as he stole a glance at Koushi, who was now putting on an act of innocence while focusing on running his fingers over one of Daichi’s hands.

Satori hummed thoughtfully. “Let’s see. One time, I went to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and Koushi had put a printed out face onto the mirror. It looked like there was a floating head. Naturally, I screamed when I saw it. And Koushi had been hiding in the shower so he could intensify my fear at close range whenever I happened to come in. I don’t even know how long he was waiting in there. But once he gets the idea for a prank, he really commits to it. So be careful, Daichi. He could terrorize you at any moment.”

“Don’t fill his head with garbage!” Koushi said. Though by his expression, he seemed amused and somewhat proud of the prank he had pulled off. 

“Garbage? I think you meant to say _facts_ ,” Satori said as he put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin on his hands. 

Daichi had already gotten the impression that Koushi liked to mess with people, and he thought it was kind of endearing in its own way. But it wouldn’t be as endearing if he became the target himself. “If I offer to help with your pranks, will you spare me from being a victim?”

“Hmm, I’ll have to think it over. Depends on how good you are at scheming,” Koushi teased as he leaned against Daichi playfully. Then he looked over at the clock on the wall. “Wow, it’s almost three already. No wonder I’m so hungry. Are you ready for lunch, Daichi?”

“I’m not sure if I can eat yet,” Daichi said with a slight frown; the thought of eating reminded him of a particularly gruesome scene in one of the movies he and Koushi had just watched. “Those movies were kind of graphic, and I’m still unsettled.”

“I’ll pour a bunch of happiness into you,” Koushi said as he moved so that he was basically sitting on Daichi’s lap. He put both hands on the sides of Daichi’s face, then his chest glowed a slightly brighter orange than usual, which shone through his shirt. “How do you feel now?”

“I feel a lot better. Thanks,” Daichi said as he went to hold onto Koushi’s wrists; they were smiling softly at each other. “It’s amazing that you can do that.”

“Gods, just kiss already,” Satori said as he stood up and walked over to the kitchen.

Koushi blushed deep red as he got off of Daichi’s lap and went to sit beside him instead. “I’m not going to have you witness our first kiss, Tori.”

“Why not?” Satori asked as he took leftover soup out of the refrigerator and poured it into a pot. “I’ve been so bored today.”

The front door opened and closed at that point. Then Tooru’s voice sounded out from downstairs. “I’m home! And Hajime’s here too!”

“Well, well well. Here comes some fresh entertainment,” Satori said as he put the pot on the stove to reheat the soup. Then he bounded from the stove towards the stairs and knelt down to peek his head over the hole that led to the first floor.

Tooru and Hajime had slipped their shoes off at the front door, and then Tooru threw his pair towards the wardrobe as if they had deeply offended him. “I’m never wearing shoes again! My feet are killing me,” he said as he gingerly walked across the room. 

Hajime was holding a paper bag in his arms as he followed Tooru up the stairs, and he was smirking as if he thought that Tooru was being slightly ridiculous.

Satori moved out of the way so that they could come into the room. Then he watched Tooru limp over to the couch, where he proceeded to collapse with a loud huff. 

“ _You poor thing,_ ” Satori cooed as he walked over to ruffle Tooru’s hair. “Shoes really are torture, aren’t they?”

“I don’t know how humans wear them every day,” Tooru said as he put an arm over his face. 

“You’d think someone made you walk on hot coals or something by how you’re acting,” Hajime said as he went to the counter and set the bag down on it. Then he nodded at Satori in greeting. “I got some bread for you guys.”

Satori walked over to the kitchen while putting one foot in front of the other as if he was walking on a tightrope; he held his arms out as if he was walking on one as well. Then he sat himself up on the counter near the paper bag and smirked as he looked at Hajime. “I’ve just started to heat up some soup, and bread will go along nicely with it. You two are just in time to eat with us.”

“Cool, that sounds good. I’m hungry from walking around all over town,” Hajime said as he went over to the couch and sat on the floor in front of Tooru. Then he started rubbing Tooru’s feet, even though he still had an expression that made it seem like he thought Tooru was being over the top.

Tooru let out a pleased hum, but he kept his arm over his face while he spoke. “That does it, Hajime. You’re too perfect. I’m going to get you accepted into the house of Oikawa as soon as possible.”

“I don’t really know what that means. But thanks, I guess,” Hajime said with a slight blush as he looked from Tooru to Daichi. “How was the movie you guys watched?”

“Terrifying,” Daichi said with a slight shudder. “We watched three from the same series, and I think they’ll haunt my dreams.”

“I’ll help you feel better if you get nightmares,” Koushi said as he wiggled his eyebrows at Daichi.

“And the real motive for the scary movie watching comes out,” Tooru teased. Then he uncovered his face so that he could look over at Koushi, who was right beside him on the couch. “You just wanted Daichi to stay the night with you, didn’t you?”

Koushi’s ears went deep red, though he grinned silently and didn’t deny anything.

“Oh, he totally _should_ stay over,” Satori said as he dangled his legs over the edge of the counter and kicked his feet happily. “And so should Hajime. A big sleepover would be tons of fun!”

Just then, Wakatoshi came into the room. “It would be rather crowded if they slept here,” he said as he walked over to stand in front of the counter where Satori was sitting. Then he wrapped him up in a slightly territorial hug. 

Satori giggled as he embraced Wakatoshi. “Crowded how? We have room for two more.”

“Toshi has a point, actually. We wouldn’t be able to sleep next to each other comfortably since the mattresses on the bunk beds are so small. And what’s the point of them staying over if they aren’t going to sleep next to us?” Tooru said softly; he had practically melted onto the couch thanks to Hajime, who was still massaging his feet. 

Satori shrugged his shoulders. “Toshi and I manage to squeeze onto one mattress together just fine.”

“That’s because he lets you sleep right on top of him,” Tooru said. After a moment of thought, he looked at Hajime with a tilt of his head. “Is your bed big enough for two?”

Hajime replied casually, though he was starting to look slightly flustered by the topic. “Depends on if you starfish while you sleep.”

“He totally does,” Koushi said with an impish grin. “And he snores too.” 

Tooru pouted and crossed his arms at that. 

So Koushi reached over to jab at Tooru’s ribs repeatedly. “So how was town, Tooru?” 

“It was interesting. And a little stressful. But the people there were _very nice,_ unlike _you,”_ Tooru said as he went to swat at Koushi’s hand.

“I’m sure you’ll love it even more if the treaty finally gets dissolved. Then you can have the full experience of a human town,” Satori said as he scooted forward on the counter so that he could wrap his legs around Wakatoshi’s waist and cling onto him.

“I wonder how the meeting of the gods is going,” Koushi said as he finally stopped messing with Tooru and went back to leaning against Daichi. “I’d love to be able to go do stuff in town with Daichi without worrying about curses.”

“We’ll find out eventually,” Tooru said as he reached for Hajime and pulled him up onto the couch beside him. Then he laid down with his head on Hajime’s lap.

“Don’t you need to go shower?” Hajime asked as he gently ran a hand through Tooru’s hair. “I thought you said you have to get wet more often when you’ve been out in the sun on warm days.”

“I will after lunch,” Tooru said with a yawn as he pulled Hajime’s arm over his face to cover his eyes. “And maybe a quick nap.”

“You know, there are some places I’d like to go together if the treaty gets dissolved,” Satori said as he rested his chin on Wakatoshi’s shoulder.

“Like where?” Wakatoshi asked.

Satori lightly ran a hand up and down Wakatoshi’s back as he replied. “There’s this place that has live music. I’ve only seen inside of it from the window, but I’ve always wanted to be right in front of the stage while the musicians play. It would be nice to go together.”

Hajime looked over at Satori and Wakatoshi. “It’s fun to go there and dance. But it does get crowded, so I don’t know if Wakatoshi would enjoy it.”

Wakatoshi pulled his face back so that he could look at Satori. “Hajime is correct. A crowd of humans does not sound fun to me, though I would go if you really wanted me to.”

Satori smiled and pressed a kiss against Wakatoshi’s lips before he replied. “Well, maybe it's something I’ll do with Koushi or Tooru instead. Me and you can find other things to do together.” 

“I’ll definitely go there with you,” Koushi said as he glanced at Satori. “But I don’t know how to dance.”

“Most people don’t really know how to dance at that kind of place,” Daichi said as he put an arm over Koushi’s shoulders. “You’ll blend right in.”

Satori let go of Wakatoshi and gestured towards the stove. “Will you stir the soup, darling? It’s probably about warm enough now.”

Wakatoshi nodded and went over to take the lid off the large pot, then gave it a good stir. The smell of it was filling the room. It was a rich soup; the aroma was mouthwatering. 

Hajime looked over at Wakatoshi. Tooru seemed to have fallen asleep on his lap, so he tried to speak softly. “Hey, Wakatoshi. Over in that bag on the counter, there’s milk bread, curry bread, melon bread and meat buns. Help yourself to some if you want.”

Wakatoshi looked at Hajime wearily for a moment. But then he went to take one of the buns out of the bag and took a bite of it. After chewing it silently, he took another bite and gave a quiet hum of appreciation. Then he went to sit on the couch while he ate the rest of it. Though he sat as far away from Daichi and Hajime as possible. 

“I wonder where Keiji and Kenma wandered off to,” Satori said as he hopped down from the counter. “They’re going to miss lunch.”

“They went on a walk,” Tooru said as he peeked an eye open; he hadn’t been asleep after all. “I saw them when I was leaving this morning. But Kenma didn’t seem that excited about walking, so I’m surprised they’re still gone.”

“Should I go look for Keiji and Kenma?” Wakatoshi asked after he finished eating his meat bun. “I could fly over the coastline.”

Satori walked over to the couch so that he could lean Wakatoshi’s head back and kiss his forehead. “I don’t think we need to worry, darling. They’re probably just off zoning out somewhere. Or maybe they went for a swim to cool off.”

Tooru sat up suddenly; he looked worried. “Oh gods, they might have gotten stuck in a trap or something!”

“I doubt they got stuck in anything,” Satori said as he went to get bowls out for the soup. “And even if they did, I’m sure they could think their way out of it. Those two are as sharp as shark teeth.”

Tooru gave Satori a doubtful look. “But what if they need help? Don’t you remember how stressful it was when we couldn’t find your mom, and how terrible it was for her? She was stuck in that trap for almost a week before we found her.”

“I do remember it quite well... I was very worried about her,” Satori said in a small voice as he started filling six bowls with soup. 

Wakatoshi got up at that point to go stand by Satori, as if the sadness in his voice had drawn him over like a magnet. “When did that happen?”

“Just over three years ago,” Satori mumbled as he leaned his head against Wakatoshi’s shoulder for a moment. 

“It was horrible,” Tooru said as he pulled on one of Hajime’s arms so that he would wrap it around him. “And it was lucky we found her before the humans that left the trap got to her.”

Hajime had been listening closely to the conversation. “What kind of trap was she caught in?”

It was Koushi who answered, and he looked uncomfortable as he described the memory. “It was a complicated wire box with lots of levers in it. Satori’s mom reached into the box to help get a sea turtle out, but her arm got stuck in it. And it was crushed so badly that… we had to cut it off just above the elbow when we finally found her.”

“That’s awful,” Hajime said. Both he and Daichi were grimacing, but they weren’t the only ones learning about it for the first time. 

Wakatoshi turned to look at Satori with furrowed eyebrows. “You never told me about that.”

Satori glanced at Wakatoshi as he finished filling the last of the bowls with soup. “I’m sorry for keeping it from you. It’s just not something that I like to relive,” he said with a downheartedness that was rare for him to openly express. 

“Those fucking sea turtle poachers really piss me off,” Koushi said as he balled up his fists and hammered them on his lap with each word. “Ugh! I’d like to punch each of them right in the face.”

“They’ve been a big problem around here,” Daichi said as he rested a hand over one of Koushi’s fists and ran his thumb over it.

Hajime nodded in agreement. “Yeah, poachers come from out of the area to get sea turtles all the time. It’s something my friend Koutarou talks about a lot because he wants to do something about it.”

“That’s admirable. I hope he figures out a way to put a stop to it,” Tooru said as he scooted over so he could lay his head back down on Hajime’s lap. But then he quickly sat back up as if he had remembered something. “Wait. Koutarou is one of the friends staying at your house, right?”

“Yeah. Koutarou and Tetsurou are my two friends that just came back into town,” Hajime said.

Tooru rubbed his hands together as he turned to look at Koushi. “So, Keiji saved those two men, right? Well, those were Hajime and Daichi’s friends!”

“Seriously?!” Koushi said as he turned to look at Daichi with an excited grin. “What are they like?” 

Daichi hummed thoughtfully before he answered. “Koutarou is really passionate. And he thinks he knows all about ningyo already, but basically everything he knows is wrong.”

“Rest assured that Keiji won’t let him go on believing things that aren’t true,” Satori said as he and Wakatoshi each got themselves some food. Then they went to sit at the end of the couch together. “He’ll definitely insist on teaching all of you about our kind.”

“What about the other friend?” Koushi asked as he and Daichi got up and walked to the kitchen.

“Tetsurou loves video games. And he’s going to make one about ningyo,” Daichi said as he picked up some bread to go with his soup, then handed some to Koushi. 

“Kenma loves video games, too,” Koushi said as he grabbed a bowl of soup. Then he and Daichi went back to the couch and sat down next to each other. 

Meanwhile, Hajime stood up and gently pushed Tooru back down when he tried to get up as well. “I’ll bring your food over so you can stay off your feet.”

“Thanks,” Tooru said as he grinned and watched Hajime walk away.

Once Koushi had settled in on the couch, he elbowed Tooru’s side and whispered to him so that no one else could hear. “He _really_ likes you.”

“I already know that without you reading his emotions for me,” Tooru whispered back with a slight blush. 

“So, Kenma likes video games?” Hajime asked as he brought a bowl of soup and some milk bread over for Tooru. 

Tooru nodded as he took the food and set it on his lap. “Yeah, he really does. He spends a lot of time playing the three games that we have.”

“Tetsurou has tons of games,” Hajime said as he went back to the counter to get himself some food. Then he went to sit beside Tooru and carefully balanced his bowl of soup on his lap while he dipped his bread in it. “Maybe he and Kenma can bond over it.”

It was silent for a while as everyone ate. But then Satori’s features fell flat as his eyes started glowing purple; he was getting a weather prediction. 

Wakatoshi noticed immediately and went to hold Satori’s bowl to keep soup from spilling while he was distracted. “Is a storm coming?”

“Just a moment,” Satori replied quietly as he brought his palms together in front of himself and tapped his fingers together. 

Everyone stopped eating to look over at Satori. The purple glow of his eyes lasted for twenty seconds before it finally faded, and then he started laughing gleefully. 

“Now that’s the most interesting one I’ve had in a long time!”

“What was the prediction?” Wakatoshi asked as he handed Satori’s bowl of soup back to him. 

“There were over one hundred curse storms brewing, but then they stopped. The gods must be fighting among themselves,” Satori said with an amused grin. Then he started to eat his soup again with a cheerful expression, as if fighting among the gods was a positive occurrence.

Daichi glanced at Koushi with a worried expression. “That doesn’t sound good.”

Koushi shrugged as he finished the last bite of his bread. “The gods have always fought among themselves. That’s usually how we get extreme weather. The bread was great, by the way. Thanks for getting it,” he said as he looked over at Hajime.

“Yeah, the bread was delicious,” Satori said. He had finished his piece already and was working on finishing his soup. 

Wakatoshi glanced at Hajime and spoke with only a slight bit of reluctance. “The bread was good. Thank you for bringing it.”

Hajime gave a slight nod. “No problem. I’m glad you all like it.”

Tooru leaned close to Hajime and whispered in his ear. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure that Toshi likes you a little better now. I knew you’d get points for bringing him food.”

Hajime grinned slightly in response as he worked on eating his soup. 

“It would be so fun if the gods started a war, wouldn’t it?” Satori said with a dreamy expression. “Imagine all the amazing storms we’d get to experience. I’ve never seen a purely rage filled hurricane in my lifetime, but I’d sure like to.”

“Wouldn’t people die if that happened?” Daichi asked.

“Maybe,” Satori replied as if it wasn’t a big deal either way. Then he went to drink the rest of his soup right from the bowl. 

Koushi reached over to pat Daichi’s leg reassuringly. “We’ve got six members here now, so I’m sure we’d manage to save quite a few humans if any hurricanes come through.” 

“Hurricanes damage property too,” Hajime said dryly. “I’d be upset if anything happened to the house my grandfather built.”

“Hey, speaking of your house. We should do dinner there tonight,” Tooru said as he looked at Hajime. “That way we can meet your friends!”

“Alright. That sounds good,” Hajime said. “Koutarou and Tetsurou really want to meet you.”

“They want to meet me?” Tooru asked while he grinned happily. “When were you talking about me to your friends?”

“We only talked about you a little bit,” Hajime with a slight blush. 

“We should wait for Keiji and Kenma to get back,” Satori said as he stretched his arms over his head. “I want to be there when Keiji meets the one he likes.”

“Which of them does Keiji like?” Daichi asked curiously. But no one seemed to know the answer to that. 

“You know, there’s one more movie in that series we started,” Koushi said as he teasingly smirked at Daichi. “Let’s watch it while we wait for Kenma and Keiji to get back!”

Daichi winced slightly. “Anything but that.”

“I was only joking. I won’t make you watch scary movies anymore,” Koushi said with a giggle as he stood up to take his and Daichi’s empty bowls to the sink. He also grabbed Tooru and Hajime’s bowls since they had both just finished eating.

“You know, my mother loves scary movies. That’s why we have so many here,” Satori said as he put his and Wakatoshi’s empty bowls together and handed them to Koushi as he passed by. 

“I wish your mother had not left before I got here,” Wakatoshi said as glanced at Satori. “I wanted to see her again.”

“I’m sure she’ll come visit at some point,” Satori remarked as he looked at Wakatoshi with a flat grin. “And she’ll be amazed at how tall you’ve gotten since she last saw you!”

“Wait… you know Tori’s mom?” Tooru asked as he leaned over to stare at Wakatoshi. 

“She took care of me for a brief time when I was a child,” Wakatoshi said matter-of-factly. “That was the first time I met Tori.”

Koushi, who had just returned from putting the dishes into the sink, gave Satori and Wakatoshi an incredulous look. “You guys never mentioned that you knew each other as kids!”

“Of course we did. We met when I was four,” Satori said while giving a prankish smile that made his eyes narrow into a squint. “Did I really never tell you this?”

“You didn’t!” Tooru said while holding a hand over his heart; he looked both shocked and offended. “And you hid it from us on purpose, didn’t you?”

“You’re one to talk about hiding things, Mr. I-stalked-Hajime-for-five-years-and-only-admitted-to-it-recently,” Satori said as he moved to sit on Wakatoshi’s lap. “And why did you think I called him Toshi right away when he first came here? Do you think I give out nicknames to just anyone?”

“Uhm. _Yes?_ You called me all kinds of nicknames when we first met,” Tooru said as he tossed his hair. “But they were all totally awful, which is why I made you stop.”

“Yeah, you used to give everyone a nickname when you first met them,” Koushi said. “That’s when you started calling me Koushi-moshi and Koko-bear.”

“And you were so reasonable to accept your nicknames without complaint, Koushi-moshi,” Satori said as he reached over to ruffle Koushi’s hair. Then he gave a playful pout directed at Tooru. “ _Some ningyo_ just don’t appreciate gestures of affection.” 

Wakatoshi hugged Satori against his chest as he spoke. “I have always liked the nickname you gave me.”

“That’s because you’re the sweetest,” Satori said as he relaxed into the embrace.

Tooru let out an impatient huff. “Tell us everything, Tori!”

Satori hummed thoughtfully. “Everything? Let’s see… I was born in the bathtub of this very lighthouse. After my dad left, it was just me and my mom because it was hard to get any Protectors to come out to this area thanks to the reputation of the Karasuno gods. So I lived here with my mom until I was five, then I went to live with my aunt so I could go to school. That’s when I met Koushi, Tooru, Kenma and Keiji. Then I came back here when I was fifteen so I could learn to take over the lighthouse. Tooru and Koushi came here when I was sixteen, and my mom retired when I was eighteen. Then Toshi came here last year when I was twenty.”

“We already knew all of that,” Tooru said; he looked exasperated as he collapsed against Hajime’s side. “You’re fraying my nerves.” 

“Ah, but Hajime and Daichi didn’t. I wanted them to know me a little better since we’re friends now,” Satori said with a catlike grin as he glanced at Wakatoshi. “I guess it’s finally time to tell everyone about how we first met!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Debating about how to structure the next chapter because I changed something in it. But I'm working on it!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **possible trigger warning for child neglect**

~~~~~~Seventeen years earlier~~~~~~

Wakatoshi was five years old, and he had lived a lonely life so far. His family was not one that could be called warm or nurturing; the house of Ushijima consisted of those who had come to value fortitude, stoicism and strength above all else. And it was their deep belief that children were rarely to be seen and never to be heard. So it was common practice to give punishment for displaying any kind of weakness or emotion. Especially ones that were loud, whether that included laughing or crying. 

Wakatoshi had endured those ironclad rules without complaint. But it had kept him from feeling a close attachment to his mother and grandmother, both of whom did most of his caretaking. That is, if it could actually be called caretaking; he was expected to be independent already, despite being such a young child. Yet he still loved his mother and grandmother despite their rigidity and coldness. However, he wholeheartedly admired his father, who was often away on important errands for the Shiratorizawa gods. 

There was a close bond between the Shiratorizawa gods and the house of Ushijima, as there had been from the time Washijou originally gifted them their magic. They were considered the chosen ones of those gods. And because they were favored, their underwater homes were located close to where the Shiratorizawa gods dwelled, which was a string of islands that had no human inhabitants; only animals and gods lived there. And these islands were also very far from the rest of ningyo society. So Wakatoshi had almost no other children to play with; he had just a few cousins that were infants, one much older cousin, and then many aunts and uncles who were well past the age of twenty.

As for his formal education, he had a private tutor that would be teaching him once he turned six years old. He wasn’t allowed to go to school in the big underwater city where most ningyo lived; it was traditional for those in the house of Ushijima to be educated privately. And it was also part of their custom to have marriages arranged between their members and the members of other houses that were prestigious or otherwise deemed appropriate. Those in the house of Oikawa, the house of Kozume, the house of Akaashi, and the house of Utsui were usually found to be suitable thanks to their high status in society. And there were a handful more that were acceptable under particular circumstances. 

Wakatoshi’s father was from the house of Utsui, but he took on the magic gifted to the house of Ushijima when he was officially accepted into it. Receiving the magic of the house one married into was always required, and one ningyo had to give up their own house's magic in favor of obtaining the magic of their new house; it was the equivalent of changing one’s last name after marriage for humans, and it was a set practice that all ningyo followed. But the house of Ushijima had some extra conditions when it came to betrothals; their magic must be the one to remain, and the couple wasn’t supposed to live near or work to save humans after their union. The members of the house of Ushijima never volunteered to be Protectors; it was a job that was severely looked down upon by their lineage thanks to the murder of their young anscestor before the treaty, and the elders of their house were in agreement to never approve that job request if ever there was one from any of their members.

With all that knowledge already weighing on him, Wakatoshi had been living in a small underwater dome with his mother and grandmother. And he was expected to care for and entertain himself. He had learned from infancy to play quietly, and to avoid being a nuisance for those around him. Because of this he often went days, if not weeks, without interacting with others. He even fed himself for most meals since he already knew how to catch fish and cut them into sashimi. The only time his family ate together was when his father was home. But his father’s visits were often only a week long, then he’d be gone again for a few months. And he never did learn exactly what it was that his father did for the gods while he was away. 

Wakatoshi’s magic had come in at the age of four, which was the usual point in time for magic to manifest, and he had been practicing how to turn into animals ever since. But he had no one to teach him how to control his magic aside from his usually absent father, since his mother and grandmother wanted nothing to do with it and insisted he could wait until he had a tutor. So there were many mistakes at first; he’d accidentally leave a leg or an arm out of the transformation, and sometimes he’d miss his ears, face or entire head when making himself change. But that didn’t keep him from practicing. 

Since he could only transform into animals that matched his own age, he'd often become a kitten, puppy, calf, or other young wildlife animal. He’d take the forms of various sea creatures while underwater and land animals while on the islands near his home, where he played alone or with the animals that lived there. 

But of all the animals in the world, Wakatoshi really wanted to become an eagle; it was what his father most often transformed into. And it was also the shrine animal for the Shiratorizawa gods. However, birds were tricky to change into and required more focus to sustain. So it had taken several months before he successfully transformed into an eagle for the first time. But to his dismay, flying as a bird was even harder than becoming one. So he had to practice every day for many weeks. But he had plenty of time to do so since he was always left to his own devices. 

Once he finally managed to fly, he found the experience to be absolutely thrilling. It was a freedom that was different from the one he felt when granted permission to do whatever he wanted as long as he was quiet; that was an isolating and depressing thing at times. But flying made him grateful to be alive. He felt like he could conquer anything when he was looking down on the Earth from above; his fears, his loneliness, and his future. It was a lot for such a young ningyo to feel, especially since he was so often punished for expressing any kind of emotion. But he felt hopeful and brave when he screamed into the endless sky as an eagle. And so he spent much of his time as an eagle from then on.

So by the time he was five, he was skilled at flying. Then there came a day when he flew for hours and hours even though his young eagle body was barely old enough for such an extended flight. And it was also very draining for him in a magical sense. Throughout his long journey, he had not been paying attention to where he was going as he traveled on and on. So he eventually ended up over the shores of a small town. And he would later learn that this town was called Skyway. 

But he was exhausted from the lengthy flight at that point, and he couldn’t maintain his eagle form any longer. So he fell from the sky while glowing purple as he transformed back into a ningyo child, and then landed hard on the sand by a shallow cove. His hands and feet had been the first things to hit the ground. One of his wrists and one of his ankles were throbbing in pain. So he hugged his injured wrist against his chest and blinked away tears while biting his lip; he knew that he wasn't allowed to show his emotions or discomfort. He had been repeatedly taught that it was a sign of weakness. But no one was around just then, and he was in a significant amount of pain, so he let himself cry for once. 

However, an old woman had seen him fall. And she was now hurrying over to him with an expression of concern as she reached her arms out towards him. “My gods. That was a long fall for such a small boy. Are you okay, sweetheart?” 

In response, Wakatoshi scooted away from her. But the pain in his ankle and wrist kept him from getting too far; his ankle was broken and his wrist was sprained, as he would learn later on. 

“If you touch me, my skin will hurt,” he said desperately. Then he covered his mouth with his hand because he realized he had just spoken to a human. That meant that his tongue was going to get burned up, so he started to cry more at that point. 

“I’ve been saved by your kind before, sweetheart. It’s okay. I just want to make sure you’re alright,” the old woman said in a compassionate voice. But she didn’t get any closer; she seemed to understand exactly what Wakatoshi was afraid of, as well as the reasoning behind it. 

Wakatoshi realized that his tongue wasn’t burning as it should have been; the old woman must really have been saved by a ningyo in the past. But he still refused to talk to her any further. He didn’t trust humans; his family had taught him all about how bad they were. So he knew better than to interact with one, and he wasn’t going to be tricked. He just glared at her instead while struggling to ignore the pain radiating from his broken ankle and sprained wrist. 

The old woman clicked her tongue as she sat down in the sand a short distance away from Wakatoshi. “Well, I won’t force my help on you. But I can’t just leave you be, not in good conscience.”

It was silent for a while as they stared at each other. Wakatoshi wore a scowl while the old woman kept a kind smile on her lips. He studied the old woman carefully; if she were a ningyo, not a human, then she’d have the type of smile that made a child feel safe and loved. But she _was_ a human. So that kind smile could be nothing more than a trick or a trap. 

Eventually, the old woman spoke again. “You know, I’ve got a grandson who’s close to your age. And I tell him all kinds of stories about your kind.”

“My mother says humans only know how to lie and be cruel,” Wakatoshi replied bitterly. Then he covered his mouth with his hand again because he hadn’t meant to speak.

The old woman’s kind smile didn’t falter, but her eyes grew sad. “That’s true for some people, I’m sure. Humans can be rotten. Just terrible, sometimes. And I know a lot about what your kind has been through because I have a good friend who lives in a lighthouse near here. She saved me from drowning when I was a child, and she has a little boy about your age. Maybe you’d like me to fetch her for you?”

Wakatoshi squinted at the old woman suspiciously. His family had drilled it into his head over and over again; humans were _never_ to be trusted. But he did need somewhere safe to rest until he was healed enough to manage swimming as a ningyo or flying while transformed. And he had drained his magic from flying around for too long, so he knew it would take a few days for that to be restored enough for an extended body alteration. But he didn’t know how long it would take for his wrist and ankle to feel better. Those injuries wouldn’t go away when he became an animal; any form he took on would be matched with the state of his ningyo body, no matter what his condition. 

So after a long silence, Wakatoshi finally nodded at the old woman. 

The old woman stood up with a bit of effort. “All right, then. It’s going to take me close to an hour to walk there. Just sit tight and I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said as started to walk away from the cove and the hill that wasn’t far from it. 

And she walked rather quickly for someone of her age. From Wakatoshi’s perspective, she seemed like she was past two hundred since that’s when ningyo started getting grey hair and wrinkles. But humans aged differently; the old woman was only in her sixties.

Wakatoshi sat around anxiously for a couple hours. He kept thinking he shouldn’t actually stick around and wait, but he was very curious about the ningyo and her child that lived in the lighthouse. He had grown up with just his mother, grandmother, and occasionally his father. He didn’t often see the other members of the house of Ushijima aside from their yearly gathering, but he had always been made to sit and watch over the babies with his older cousin. And he had never even talked to any members from another house before.

But that wasn’t the only reason, or even the main one, for why he stayed where he was; his pain was becoming more unbearable by the minute. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to walk far. And he also knew that it was dangerous to swim alone while injured. So his only choice was to hope that the old woman was really going to bring a ningyo back to help him; that she was actually kind even though she was a human. Trusting the old woman went against everything he had been taught. Yet he was desperate, and there were no alternatives. 

When the old woman finally came into view again, she was with another woman who was young and exuberant. She had wild red hair way down to her mid back and wore a flowing yellow dress that was blowing in the wind; the way it rippled was interesting to look at. But Wakatoshi thought it was odd for a ningyo to be wearing clothes. No one in the house of Ushijima ever wore clothes, so part of him was very worried that she wasn’t really a ningyo. It may have been a trick after all, and he worried that he was going to be eaten. Even the youngest in the house of Ushijima were told the story of the fisherman who murdered the ningyo child. And they were also told of the hunting and consumption of ningyo that happened afterwards. So Wakatoshi couldn’t help the tears that started falling quietly down his cheeks.

But the red haired woman was holding the hand of a young boy, whose hair just as red and twice as wild. He was also wearing clothes, and he seemed to have extra ones tucked under one arm. When he saw Wakatoshi, he grew visibly excited. He let go of his mothers hand and ran over to where Wakatoshi was sitting. Then he playfully spun around a few times, which made the extra clothes under his arm fall around him, before he sat down next to Wakatoshi.

“Hi! My name’s Satori! What’s your name?”

“Wakatoshi,” he said quietly as he wiped his tears away. He could tell Satori was a ningyo once he was closer because of the way his skin slightly reflected the sunlight that was shining down on them. Though clouds were starting to roll in, and it looked like rain would be coming along too. 

“How’d you get here?” Satori asked as he rested his chin on his hands while his elbows rested on his knees. He tilted his head as he waited for Wakatoshi’s answer.

“I flew here,” Wakatoshi said as he looked at Satori’s red hair. He’d never seen such a vibrant color; everyone in the house of Ushijima had dark brown or olive brown hair. Satori’s clothes were brightly colored as well, and so were the extra pieces of clothing just next to his body that had fallen when he sat down. 

“How’d you fly?” Satori asked curiously. “Were you riding on a bird?”

“I was the bird,” Wakatoshi said plainly. “Why are you wearing clothes?”

Satori gave an almost mischievous grin as he leaned closer to Wakatoshi and whispered to him. “To blend with humans. You have to blend, too. Here,” he said as he picked up the clothes he had dropped and offered them to Wakatoshi with an encouraging nod. 

Wakatoshi stared at the clothes for a moment before taking them with his uninjured hand; he had rested his sprained wrist on his lap in the meantime. “How do I put them on?”

“You don’t know how?” Satori asked in an almost shocked voice. Then he giggled and took the clothes back. “I’ll help you,” he said as he stood and held the shirt over Wakatoshi. 

It went over Wakatoshi’s head easily enough, and then Satori helped him get one arm through. But then Wakatoshi hissed in pain as his hurt wrist went through the second sleeve. “That hurts!”

“Oopsie, sorry! I didn’t know you had owies,” Satori said with a frown. Then he went to put the pants on Wakatoshi. But he didn’t know about Wakatoshi’s hurt ankle either, and ended up being a little too rough. 

Wakatoshi yelped as tears pricked his eyes. 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Satori said as his face scrunched up with worry. He leaned down to kiss Wakatoshi’s ankle with careful tenderness, then looked up hopefully. “All better now?”

Wakatoshi tilted his head at Satori in confusion. No one had ever kissed him to make him feel better before. And he didn’t understand why a kiss would heal an injury, unless that was the magic that Satori had. But it wasn’t very good magic if that was the case; it hadn’t worked at all.

“It still hurts,” Wakatoshi mumbled. Then he wondered if Satori was either a late bloomer, or too young for his magic to have manifested yet; that would explain why it didn’t work.

“Oh, shucks,” Satori said as he snapped his little fingers. “It always makes me feel better when my mommy does that.” 

“Does your mother have healing magic?” Wakatoshi asked. He really wanted the answer to be yes, because he was tired of being in pain.

“My mommy can see storms. And she said I’ll be able to see them too,” Satori said as he went to pull at the pants around Wakatoshi’s ankles again. “Lay back. I can pull the pants up slowly.”

“Okay,” Wakatoshi said as he leaned back and let Satori pull the pants up for him. He was careful to keep his injured ankle as still as possible. 

Once the pants were on, Satori nodded at Wakatoshi as if in approval of his own ability to get others dressed. “Now you blend, Toshi.” 

“My name is Wakatoshi. Not Toshi,” Wakatoshi said as he went to hold his ankle delicately. And he held his injured wrist against his chest while tears were threatening to spill again. He was actually somewhat thankful to be injured here where he was, and not back at home; he’d have been scolded for giving in to discomfort.

“Toshi’s a nickname,” Satori said with a grin. “Friends give friends nicknames. I’ve seen it on TV shows.”

“Friends do?” Wakatoshi asked through a clenched jaw as he fought to control his pain.

“Yeah! I’ve never had a friend before now,” Satori said excitedly. “What nickname can I have?”

Wakatoshi thought about it for a moment; he’d never gotten a nickname before, nor had the opportunity to give one. So he decided to copy what Satori had done with his own name and use just the last part of it. “Tori.”

“Tori, huh? I like that!” Satori was beaming with joy. “Wanna play, Toshi?”

“My ankle and wrist hurt too badly right now,” Wakatoshi replied stiffly, though he would have played otherwise. Something about Satori’s smile made him feel happy too, and he wanted to keep that expression on his new friend’s face. 

Satori looked disappointed for a moment, but he quickly moved on from it and kept talking. “It’s just me and my mom at the lighthouse. Where do you live?”

“Far away from here,” Wakatoshi said softly. 

The red haired woman and the old woman finally made it over at that point. “My friend tells me that you fell from the sky as an eagle, young one. You must be from the house of Ushijima. My name’s Azumi. And I see you’ve met my son, Satori.”

Satori turned and pulled at the skirt of Azumi’s dress to get her attention. “His name’s Toshi and we’re friends now! But he can’t play. He’s hurt on his wrist and ankle.”

“Well, we have to take very good care of our friends, you know,” Azumi said as she gently ruffled Satori’s hair and gave him a warm smile. 

Wakatoshi wondered at the affectionate way that Azumi interacted with Satori. His own mother was never like that; she was withdrawn and distant. So was his grandmother. But he felt a deep longing for someone to look at him with that much kindness. 

And then Azumi made that happen; she squatted down in front of Wakatoshi and gave him a smile that was just as warm as the one she’d given Satori. “I’d like to carry you to my home since you’re hurt. But do you think you can muster up enough magic to become a small animal so it’s a bit easier for me?”

Even though Wakatoshi was exhausted and in pain, the kindness that Azumi was showing him made him want to try his best. So he mustered up all the magic he could find within himself. And then he transformed into an olive green colored kitten, which was the animal that he had most often transformed into while playing on the islands near his home; there were stray cats there that he liked to run around with. 

But Wakatoshi ended up tangled and buried in the clothes that Satori had put on him. So Azumi reached down and carefully pulled him out of the clothes as he let out a distraught mew.

Then Satori shrieked out a happy squeal as he smacked his hands against his own face out of excitement. “Eeeeeeeee! He’s so cute! Can we keep him?”

Azumi smiled in an amused way as she cradled Wakatoshi in her arms and turned to look at Satori. “I know you’d love to have a friend around, sweetie. But we have to help him feel better and then make sure he gets home. His family will be worried.”

“Can I carry him?” Satori asked as he gave his mom a pleading look.

“As long as you’re very careful with him. Remember that he’s hurt,” Azumi replied as she moved to very gently put the kitten version Wakatoshi into Satori’s arms.

Satori tenderly held Wakatoshi against his chest while whispering to him. “I’m going to take good care of you, Toshi. We can be best friends now.”

Wakatoshi closed his eyes and started to purr. He’d never had a friend before, let alone a best friend. And he was overjoyed to have already been deemed worthy enough to be Satori’s best friend. The pain in his ankle and wrist seemed to be less intense in his animal form for some reason, so he relaxed into Satori’s embrace and closed his eyes.

Suddenly, the old woman cleared her throat. “I’ll let you handle things from here, Azumi. I’ve got to make sure my husband hasn’t spoiled my grandson too much while I’ve been gone. I bet they already ate all the cookies I made this morning.”

“Can you make it up the hill after such a long walk?” Azumi asked as she turned to look at the old woman. 

“I’ll be fine, don’t you worry. I’m still full of energy. I’ve got to be so that I can keep up with caring for my grandson while my son’s out at sea,” the old woman said with a chuckle. “And I’m going to start babysitting my neighbor’s kids soon, too. I really like to stay busy, it seems. I just wasn’t made for sitting around and knitting.”

“What about sitting around and reading?” Azumi asked with a knowing grin. 

“Ah, you got me there,” the old woman replied with a playful smile as she started to walk away. “If it weren’t for stories, I’d have only lived one life so far. And what a shame that would be at my age.” 

Meanwhile, Satori was cradling Wakatoshi in his arms and smiling at him as if he were the best thing in the world. But then rain started to sprinkle down, so Satori hunched forward to shield Wakatoshi from it. “Don’t worry, Toshi. I’m going to look after you.”

Wakatoshi let out a quiet mew. He couldn’t speak while in animal form, but he had wanted to say ‘thank you.’

Over the next week, Satori and Azumi cared for Wakatoshi as if he were a part of their family. That meant meals together, bedtime stories, and other kind things that Wakatoshi had never experienced. He had not known such love and acceptance before. And soon his wrist was feeling a lot better. But when his ankle was still in significant pain after a week of rest, Satori’s mom started to worry that it may be broken and not just sprained. So she sent a crow to ask for help from the Karasuno gods; she had a crow for her own personal use, which had been given to her by Shimizu herself. 

The crow returned with a message from Ennoshita, the god of health. He was on his way. And once he got there, he made quick work of healing Wakatoshi’s broken ankle. 

But because Wakatoshi had recovered from his injuries, he finally had to go home. Azumi was sad to see him go. But she had sent a crow to his family with a letter to let them know where he was, and they had sent the crow back with a letter demanding that he be kept away from all humans and returned as soon as possible. 

Wakatoshi didn’t think that his mother or grandmother would have even noticed that he was gone if not for the letter that Azumi had sent them. And when it came down to it, he really didn’t want to leave the lighthouse; it felt more like home than the dwelling his family lived in. He had never realized how much warmth and love he was missing out on. It would be difficult to return to the cold environment of his own home. But most of all, it was hard to say goodbye to Satori. The two boys had spent every moment together that whole week.

Azumi let the two boys sit outside to watch the sunrise on their last day together; Wakatoshi would be flying home after breakfast. They were sitting side by side in the sand near the lighthouse door and their looming separation was hanging over them. Satori was crying as he held onto Wakatoshi’s hand, but Wakatoshi himself wasn’t shedding any tears. However, he was heartbroken on the inside. 

“Mommy says I’m going to live with my aunt when I’m five. But I’ll come back here when I’m bigger. And you have to come back here and live with me, Toshi. Because we’re best friends now,” Satori said as he sniffled.

Wakatoshi nodded as he squeezed Satori’s hand. “I will, Tori. I promise.”

  
  



End file.
